Flagship Establishes Sustainability Road Map for Automotive Client

This company’s brand is one of the most recognizable in the world, synonymous with excellence, innovation, and quality. Propelled by superior craftsmanship, the client continues to set the pace for all others in the industry to follow.

Flagship Facility Services was recently selected to provide IFM services to the client’s network of facilities across the United States. Immediately, Flagship sought ways to add value beyond the services already being offered.

The Challenge

In 2019, the client’s parent company announced that it had set a goal of achieving Net Zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2039. The client is now pursuing ambitious targets at its own facilities to contribute to the company’s overall objective.

Before its partnership with Flagship, the client did not have any sort of strategic sustainability program in place. Although the team had started gathering data on energy consumption, it did not yet have a blueprint for curbing its levels or an understanding of the business impact.

Comprised of existing staff from other departments, the sustainability team also struggled to divide its time between new initiatives and everyday work. Continuing like this would distract from the client’s primary goal of bringing innovation to the automobile industry.

The Solution

At the request of the client, Flagship appointed a dedicated sustainability resource, responsible for creating a strategic plan for reducing energy consumption. This person was also tasked with examining sustainability opportunities in the areas of waste, water, pest management, green cleaning, sourcing, and conservation.

A plan was formulated to determine the amount of reduction that needs to occur year-over-year to reach the client’s sustainability goals, and an energy manager was assigned to the account to monitor real-time consumption and adjust it as needed.

Furthermore, Flagship engaged third-party vendors that specialize in energy and lighting solutions with the goal of completing an ASHRAE Level 3 Energy Audit at each site. The client is in the process of standardizing all lighting solutions, adding them to a Building Automation System along with other electrical systems (i.e., HVAC, VFDs, VAVs), and using a CMMS to optimize and maintain mechanical operations.

The Outcome

By introducing the right partners, Flagship has positioned the client for success in the sphere of sustainability. Today, the company is completely devoted to reducing its environmental impact.

In addition to committing new resources and carrying out audits of existing operations to identify opportunities for improvement, Flagship has:

• Interfaced with the Georgia Audubon Society to monitor bird collisions at corporate building
• Executed waste contracts at seven sites and worked with vendors to right size bins and optimize pick up schedules
• Worked with a waste solutions vendor to research special recycling programs, which could lead to decreased costs and/or a new revenue stream
• Launched detailed lighting projects with rebates that saved the client over $40,000
• Introduced an energy dashboard that allows the client to review its energy consumption and create reports for tracking emissions
• Enrolled applicable client sites in a demand response program, which will lead to approximately $10,000 in performance revenue

Not only will these efforts play an important role in helping the team achieve its sustainability goals, but they will support the client’s mission of protecting the next generation of innovators.