PLENCO has officially achieved its goal of reducing energy consumption by 25% through participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Plants initiative.
The milestone marks nearly a decade of collaboration, operational improvements, and efficiency-focused projects across the company’s manufacturing operations in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
PLENCO joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Plants initiative in late 2017 with a goal of reducing energy consumption by 25% within 10 years. Through a combination of capital investments, operational improvements, and employee driven initiatives, the company achieved that milestone in May 2026, several years ahead of schedule.
Since joining the initiative, teams across engineering, maintenance, operations, production, and management have contributed to a wide range of energy-saving projects and process improvements throughout the facility.
Completed initiatives included:
- LED lighting upgrades throughout the plant
- Compressed air system optimization
- Automated HVAC controls
- Steam trap audits
- Equipment scheduling improvements
- Leak detection initiatives
- Motor and equipment efficiency upgrades
One of the company’s most impactful efforts involved compressed air optimization improvements that later received national recognition through a DOE Better Plants Better Project Award.
In addition to reducing energy usage, many of the completed projects also improved equipment reliability, operational performance, and long-term maintenance efficiency.
According to Tyler Rodey, Industrial Engineer at PLENCO, the initiative created benefits that extended beyond energy savings alone.
“Participating in this program shifted our engineering team’s perspective, leading to significant energy savings and a broader professional outlook,” said Rodey. “While the energy efficiency gains provided a clear metric of success, the intangible growth in our collaborative approach and problem-solving mindset proved equally invaluable.”
The Better Plants initiative provides manufacturers with technical resources, software tools, and guidance designed to help organizations improve energy performance and reduce operational waste.
For PLENCO, the initiative also reinforced a broader culture of continuous improvement across departments and teams.
“This accomplishment reflects years of collaboration and problem-solving throughout the organization. Many of the improvements came from employees identifying opportunities to operate more efficiently in their day-to-day work.”
As customer expectations, sustainability initiatives, and manufacturing demands continue evolving, PLENCO remains committed to operational excellence, responsible manufacturing, and identifying innovative ways to improve efficiency across its operations.
