Columbia Manufacturing Inc., established in 1980, is a critical supplier for Connecticut’s aerospace industry.  The 100,000 square foot facility provides CNC machining of components, sheet-metal, and machined fabrications for the aircraft industry.  They are the largest private employer in the town.  To maintain their competitive position in the market, CMI implemented a comprehensive plan to increase productivity, employee comfort, and reduce operating expenses.

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Working with MHR Development and Eversource Energy, Columbia Manufacturing completed a multi-measure energy retrofit and process optimization training (PRIME) to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs. This upgrade improved workforce productivity and increased employee comfort, while reducing energy costs by over $32,000.  The energy retrofits included power factor correction, LED lighting, high efficiency electric motors, space heating controls, and a refurbished hot zone for the heat treating furnace.

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Columbia Manufacturing completed a multi-step Process Reengineering for Improved Manufacturing Efficiency (PRIME) program. This workforce re-training utilizes statistical analyses, lean manufacturing training, and kaizen training events for employees to eliminate potential waste, improve production efficiency, and reduce energy use and the environmental impact of manufacturing.

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The implementation team included Environmental Systems Corporation (ESC), Earthlight Technologies, and Sixth Floor Consulting Group. This project received a “comprehensive” incentive from Eversource Energy, and has been featured in various energy efficiency publications.