BURLINGTON, Iowa (April 22, 2015) — Winegard, a pioneer in antenna design and development, today announced a series of initiatives that are reducing waste, increasing energy efficiency and improving air quality. The improvements have been incorporated across the enterprise, including the manufacturing process, customer packaging, and into the facilities themselves.

"Winegard has gone to great lengths to ensure we are doing our part to promote sustainability and good environmental practices," said Winegard President Jon Manley. "These initiatives are good for the environment and our bottom line, and we will continue to expanding our efforts."


Waste reduction and recycling

Paper and plastic
Winegard is making waste reduction of paper and plastic a key component of its sustainable manufacturing process.

• Winegard is recycling 99% of corrugated packaging coming from suppliers.
• The plastic scraps including the sprue and runner drops from injection molded parts and plastic reels are sent to the recyclers to be used in other products.
• Large plastic sacks are saved from the landfill so that they can be used to make powder coat paint.

Winegard has studied its customer packaging and is beginning the process of using paper-based molded pulp. Molded pulp is created from 100-percent recycled paper, a renewable raw material, in contrast to traditional Styrofoam (EPS). Plans are in place to use Type-1 pulp packaging for an upcoming product launch, and the company is testing the savings and protection associated with Type-2 pulp packaging. The use of nesting molded pulp trays for the upcoming launch will reduce the annual incoming warehouse space requirements by about 2/3 when compared to an equivalent non-nesting EPS tray.

Scrap metal and petroleum products
Winegard is reducing its production of scrap metal and optimizing material usage by keeping stock strip width and progression carriers to a minimum. Stock strip is the width of the metal coil from which the finished part is cut. Progression carriers are the pieces that connect the parts in the die as the metal progresses through, and then is cut off and goes out with the scrap. In addition, Winegard continually looks for ways to improve its forming tools to get a better yield and throughput. The company also strives to reduce or eliminate defects caused by inconsistencies in material properties from lot to lot and from different vendors.

All metals and waste petroleum products generated in Winegard’s manufacturing process are sorted and recycled.

• In 2014, Winegard recycled approximate 2500 gallons of oily waste.
• Each month, approximately 400 tons of galvanized steel and 8000 lbs. aluminum are sent to recycling.

Energy Efficiency

Winegard devoted substantial effort towards the environmentally-friendly construction of the company’s new manufacturing facility. The following energy-saving items have been installed throughout Winegard’s office, warehousing and manufacturing space:

• High efficiency LED lighting is combined with a computer-controlled dimming system to schedule the features for all interior and exterior lights.
• High efficiency HVAC using economizer systems are tied into the building management system to reduce the load on the mechanical cooling system and improve indoor air quality.
• Custom insulated wall panel units on the entire facility exterior result in higher R-value standards. The higher the value of R, the better the effectiveness of the building’s insulation.
• Low E reflective panels for all exterior glass resist all three types of heat transfer: convection, conduction and radiation.
• Air reclaiming system using heat generated from the compressor room assists in heating of the plant during cooler seasons and exhausting heat in summer months.
• Isolating the warehouse using high speed overhead doors going into the production area cuts down on the energy needed to keep the environment comfortable for the employees.
• The large boiler for the E-coat system was replaced with three smaller boilers to cut down on energy usage.

Air Quality

In addition to reducing the company’s energy usage, Winegard replaced four gas powered fork lifts with four electric fork lift units during 2014. The company now has 12 electric fork lifts and two gas powered fork lifts.

About Winegard Company
Winegard Company designs and manufacturers a spectrum of world class antenna products from mass produced consumer antennas and accessories to enterprise focused broadband solutions. Since its incorporation in 1954, Winegard has designed more than 1,000 antenna models and been granted over 80 U.S. patents. The company’s heritage includes recognition by NASA for contributions to the Apollo 11 mission, and the induction of founder John Winegard into the Consumer Electronics Association Hall of Fame. Winegard’s superior antenna design and manufacturing facilities that total 410,000 sq. ft include a state of the art testing and measurement center. The company’s in-house and vertically integrated capabilities support its accelerated product design and development cycle. www.winegard.com