Harris Products Group Receives Environmental Award

The welding equipment manufacturer received recognition from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals for its efforts to reduce all types of waste and prevent water pollution.

The Harris Products Group (Gainesville, GA) manufacturing facility earned a state-wide environmental award for its efforts to reduce all types of waste and prevent water pollution. The facility’s commitment to environmental stewardship received recognition from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals.

The facility also earned an Outstanding rating and a Certificate of Recognition for Indirect Wastewater Physical/Chemical Pretreatment.

“Environmental stewardship has always been an important value for The Harris Products Group, and we appreciate the GAWP’s recognition of our commitment and efforts,” said Dan Marascalchi, vice president of global operations for The Harris Products Group. “It’s an honor to be recognized as the best plant in the state for our environmental programs.”

The Harris facility in Gainesville manufactures equipment used in gas cutting, brazing, soldering and welding, as well as gas distribution systems and specialty gas applications. The state-of-the-art facility produces outfits, tips, gas regulators and manifold systems that are sold and distributed around the world. In addition to holding ISO 9001 certification for quality management systems, the Harris Gainesville facility is 14001 certified for environmental management systems.

The GAWP recognizes companies through a multi-step process. First, Harris operated for the entire 2012 calendar year with no water violations, strictly adhering to tough standards for water quality. Then with a nomination from the Eric Lunsford, the industrial pre-treatment coordinator for the city of Gainesville, they were reviewed by a member of the Industrial Awards subcommittee of GAWP. That committee member reviewed not only water systems, but all waste and operations programs, and then nominated Harris for the waste minimization award.

Jimmy Duncan, the operations manager for Gainesville, and Greg Baldwin, professional wastewater treatment operator, accepted the award on behalf of the Gainesville facility on March 27 at the association’s 2013 GAWP Industrial Conference and Expo at the Athens Classic Center in Athens, Ga.

“It’s really a credit to the hard work of all of our employees and their seriousness about being environmental stewards that led to this award,” Duncan said. “It’s really wonderful to have our employees receive this recognition from a leading environmental group in our state.”

www.harrisproductsgroup.com