Connor Sports Michigan Manufacturing Plant Receives U.S. Forest Service Grant
Amasa, Michigan (PRWEB) November 06, 2015 -- Connor Sports has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Forest Service that will be used to support a major boiler automation project to improve the efficiency of the company’s manufacturing mill in Amasa, MI.
The U.S. Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center provides support for projects in the eastern hardwood region that maintain and expand the hardwood industry, expand regional economies and create new jobs, while reducing dependency on fossil fuels and encouraging the increased use of biomass fuel sources.
The timing of the biomass project for Connor Sports coincides with the start of the 2015-2016 college basketball season, when thousands of men’s and women’s games from all levels of the NCAA will be played on Connor courts. From high-profile pre-season events such as the ESPN Armed Forces Classic in Okinawa in November to conference championships in February and March, and concluding with the Men’s Final Four in Houston and the Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis in April, thousands of college basketball games will be played on Connor hardwood courts.
“Connor Sports is extremely pleased to receive this grant from the USFS. As a fixture in the global sports supply chain, it is our commitment to make a difference not only in the communities where we live, work and play, but worldwide, for all people,” said Jason Gasperich, Connor Sports Director of Sustainability. “The receipt of this grant allows us to make some improvements to our biomass-fueled steam boiler system, those improvements thereby greatly reducing the environmental footprint of all products manufactured at our Amasa, Michigan location. This project is an excellent example of our unwavering support of our Champions of Sustainability platform, the prime goal of which is not only to positively impact the sporting community, but more importantly, to leverage the influence of the sporting community to improve the quality of life for everyone.”
Connor Sports was selected for the $135,000 grant based on the company’s continued industry-leading commitment to sustainability and longtime partnerships with respected timber industry organizations including the Forest Stewardship Council, the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association and the Green Sports Alliance.
"Connor Sports is a Pure Michigan success story," Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said. "This grant is recognition of its commitment to sustainability and quality, which will help the company create more and better jobs in the Upper Peninsula."
About Connor Sport Court International / http://www.connorsports.com
More athletic events are played on Connor Sport Court International surfaces than on any other sports flooring in the world. Founded in 1872, Connor Sport Court International has established themselves as the standard for professional and collegiate sports. Hardwood used in the courts is from a renewable resource, with the U.S. growing six times more hardwood than is harvested each year. Sport Court® is a registered trade mark of Connor Sport Court International. Since 1974, it has identified the original and authentic modular sport surface, continuously improved and patented to provide the highest levels of quality and performance. Connor Sport Court International is proud to be the only sports surfacing company in the world that is independently audited and verified as “Zero Waste” and fully ISO 9001:2008 certified. Connor Sports is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/connorsports and on Twitter @Connor_Sports.
About US Forest Service Wood Education and Resource Center/http://www.na.fs.fed.us/werc/
The Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) mission is to facilitate interaction and information exchange with the primary and secondary forest products industry to enhance opportunities for sustained forest products production in the 35-state eastern hardwood forest region of the United States. WERC supports managerial and technical innovation to keep businesses competitive. WERC provides state-of-the-art training, technology transfer, networking opportunities, applied research, and information sharing. WERC’s Wood Energy Technical Assistance Team supports the efficient use of wood energy as a low carbon, renewable energy option with substantial local economic and forest health benefits.
Lauren Gillian, Connor Sports, http://www.connorsports.com, 847-242-8339, [email protected]
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