Local Industrial Leaders Kirk Chadwick and Nick Powell Present at Facility Managers Meeting
Our thanks to Kirk Chadwick, General Manager, Fischbach USA, and Nick Powell, Site Leader for Dow, for presenting at the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation (EHCIF) August Facility Managers Meeting. This was the first meeting since May and saw an impressive turnout and engagement between the attendees and presenters.
Before introducing Chadwick and Powell, Andy Games, Vice President of EHCIF, gave attendees a brief recap of some recent developments in the regional industrial sector, including the announcement that LOTTE Aluminum Materials USA will be opening a production facility in Elizabethtown’s T.J. Patterson Industrial Park. The production facility is expected to supply aluminum for the Ford Motor Co. and SK Innovations joint venture of BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, and is expected to bring 122 new jobs to the area. Games said a groundbreaking for the new facility is expected to take place within the next 30 to 60 days.
During their remarks, both Chadwick and Powell discussed a new online platform for members of the local industrial sector to trade materials. Known as Sustainability Swap, the transaction portal helps to not only reduce the amount of industrial waste in area landfills, but also improve efficiency and create cost-saving measures among the regional industrial sector.
Through the free, interactive transaction portal, regional industrial businesses can list unwanted materials, a description of the listing, a photo of the materials, and contact information. Fellow users can then browse the database of listings, navigate categories or make specific searches for materials they are seeking.
“One person’s trash is another’s treasure,” Chadwick said.
Sustainability Swap will be posted on the EHCIF website and designated users will have access to the service. Push notifications will be available for those who register when new items are listed. The service forbids commercial transactions and materials will be available as-is. Hazardous materials also will be forbidden.
Before the website goes live, a few local companies will beta-test the site to recommend any necessary updates.
“We really hope users in the community find some value in it,” Powell said.
Sustainability Swap is made possible through a partnership between the Central Kentucky Community Foundation and EHCIF through a generous grant from the Dow Company Foundation.
During next month’s meeting, which is set for September 15, attendees will be invited to Mouser Cabinetry in Elizabethtown for lunch and a tour of the facility.
For more information, or if interested in attending the next facility managers meeting, please contact the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation at 270-737-0300.