Johns Manville Releases 2014 Sustainability Report

Johns Manville (JM), a leading global manufacturer of energy-efficient building products and engineered specialty materials and a Berkshire Hathaway company, released its 2014 Sustainability Report today. The fourth annual report highlights significant accomplishments and initiatives tied to the economic, environmental and social impacts of sustainability and is available on the company’s website at www.jm.com/sustainability.

“This report ties closely to JM’s four core values – people, passion, protection and performance – and focuses on the innovative approaches the company is taking to infuse sustainability into every aspect of our business,” said Mary Rhinehart, president and CEO. “We are pleased with the results and will continue looking for opportunities to improve and perform in a way that ultimately delivers even greater value to our customers.”

The report also incorporates a new feature – the JM Product Landscape – that highlights the sustainable attributes of many JM products used within a multitude of industries. The interactive landscape is available at www.jm.com/sustainability. Users can click on various locations within the landscape for specific product application and sustainability information.

“JM’s approach to sustainability continuously evolves as we balance the needs of our customers, employees and the environment,” said Tim Swales, vice president of research and development and chief sustainability officer. “Our greatest achievements in 2014 were in the areas of waste reduction, energy efficiency and community investment, thanks to industry-leading programs and practices. We also identified opportunities for improvement, most notably in the area of greater alignment around our safety program.”

Significant accomplishments outlined in the 2014 report include:

  • Reducing waste by 11.5 percent since 2010 by implementing waste-saving programs across global operations
  • Decreasing energy usage by more than 5 percent since 2010, despite increasing production
  • Achieving goals for volunteerism by doubling the number of employee volunteers since 2011
  • Increasing employee training hours by 30 percent in 2014 with a focus on leadership, management, compliance, language, and technology
  • Recognition from key industry organizations, including a SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Voluntary Protection Program Star status from OSHA for 10 JM manufacturing facilities

The report is divided into sections that reflect JM’s core values of people, passion, performance and protection. These values guide the company and its employees to be a leader in each of the global markets JM serves. These values also differentiate JM from its competition and make the company an employer of choice and a supplier of choice.

The 2014 publication marks the fourth year that JM has published a sustainability report detailing enterprise-wide sustainability initiatives. The report received a B-Level Application Level Check by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and includes 24 fully reported performance indicators applying the GRI 3.1 guidelines.

About Johns Manville

Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B), is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing, and roof insulation, as well as fibers and nonwovens for commercial, industrial and residential applications. JM serves markets that include aerospace, automotive and transportation, air handling, appliance, HVAC, pipe and equipment, filtration, waterproofing, building, flooring, interiors and wind energy. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has annual sales of approximately $2.6 billion and holds leadership positions in all of the key markets that it serves. JM employs approximately 7,000 people and operates 44 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information can be found at www.jm.com.

Contact:
Johns Manville Eric Brown, 303-809-2853 Eric.Brown@jm.com or Linhart PR Ashley Campbell, 303-951-2568 acampbell@linhartpr.com