2009 Performance

Strategy/Profile Menu

Download Report

Full Report

Strategy/Profile Section Only

Need Adobe Reader?

Sixty-three Bold Goals support one key objective — to demonstrate and create value following a sustainable approach. Fairmount Minerals met 98 percent of our sustainable development goals in 2009, providing our People and Planet with enduring Prosperity. The following information describes our performance in sustainable development for 2009, detailing our key successes and areas for continued improvement.

Target Key

We will be a leader in education and communication.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
Establish video conferencing capability and host at least one video conference session in each Fairmount region.		Every region hosted at least one video conference session.
Create an intranet site where Fairmount Family members can share information.		We developed a section on our intranet where FML family members can post information and communicate with one another.
Create a repository for paper-based mailing data.		We assessed our mailings and identified opportunities to reduce the quantity of paper-based pieces we send to our stakeholders.
Perpetuate environmental education by partnering with one educational organization in each of our five regions.		Every region conducted at least one environmental education session.
Host at least one Community Investment Fair per region with family members, local businesses and non-profits.		Every FML region hosted a Community Investment Fair to support local charitable organizations.
Create a signature sponsorship program.		We researched signature sponsorship options and decided to maintain our current giving program.
Each of our five regions will partner with at least one local business for a Fairmount-sponsored corporate social responsibility activity.		Facilities in every FML region partnered with local businesses to engage in a volunteer or charitable fundraising activity.
Complete the Fairmount Minerals Disaster Relief Policy and establish at least one pilot team.		We created our first Disaster Relief Policy and pilot team last year to respond to major natural disasters.
Develop talent following a four-phase approach: 1) Identify core leadership competencies; 2) Perform a technical and leadership analysis; 3) Establish an annual budget; 4) Establish a pilot program.		We defined the key attributes of the FML University concept in 2009 and began to identify the areas of organizational learning we want to target.
Establish a mission and vision for FML University.		We created a mission and vision statement for FML University and began training members of our employee family on topics related to leadership, empowerment and innovation.
Plant support of education and communication initiatives.

We will be a leader in health and safety.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
Implement a children’s wellness program and establish a pilot in the Illinois region.		Our first year piloting a new Children’s Wellness Program included hosting a community children’s wellness fair in one of our local communities.
Achieve one million consecutive safe work hours as a total company.		Our longest run of safe working hours exceeded 438,000.
Perform 25% better than our peers on industry averages on Incident Rates as a total company.		We improved our corporate incident rate to 3.58 in 2009, but missed our target of performing below the 3.3 industry average.
Establish a safety observation process that provides for proactive safety involvement at 50% of the company operating facilities.		We implemented a safety observation program at more than half of all FML facilities. We plan to expand the program over the next year.
Plant support of health and safety initiatives.

We will invest our time, talents and treasure to enhance our communities, locally and globally.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
We will donate a minimum of 1.5% of our 2009 pre-tax/pre-equity earnings through financial, volunteer and in-kind support to 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organizations.		We exceeded our goal of donating 1.5% of our pre-tax/pre-equity earnings to non-profit organizations.
Each plant will donate a minimum of .25% by their pre-tax/pre-equity earnings through financial, volunteer and in-kind support to 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organizations.		All FML facilities met their goal of donating .25% of their pre-tax/pre-equity income to non-profit organizations.
We will achieve 100% participation in employee paid volunteerism.		95% of the FML employee family participated in the paid volunteer time program.
We will achieve 10,000 paid volunteer hours.		The FML family donated more than 7,600 hours of volunteer time to charitable organizations.
We will achieve 500 volunteer hours from Fairmount Family members’ families (spouses, children, significant others) in Fairmount-sponsored community events.		We encouraged our friends and family to participate in volunteer efforts, resulting in more than 500 hours of volunteer service.
Plant support of community investment initiatives.

We will promote and support a healthy balance between community involvement, work and family.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
We will implement a “Know Your Numbers” Awareness Campaign with 80% of all employees knowing their biometric values.		We helped more than 80% of our employee family to learn important biometric values that serve as key health indicators.
We will implement the “Pound for Pound” Challenge.		We donated more than $13,000 to America’s Second Harvest as a result of employee participation in the weight loss/charitable program.
Plant support of work/life balance initiatives.

We will optimize assets and conserve resources.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
Identify a maintenance management system and implement at one site in each of the five regions.		We created a maintenance management program and began rolling it out at several FML locations.
Identify three to five production, quality and safety best practices and implement at each manufacturing facility.		We implemented several best practice projects based on team learning and collaboration across FML facilities.
The loading best practice team will develop and implement a blending program at targeted sites to improve loading times by 10%.		Through our new blending program, we improved loading times by 10%.
The mining best practice team will make three improvement recommendations at targeted sites based on their best practice observations.		We shared more than three best practice ideas based on team observations and tours with Badger Mining.
We will complete the Wind Turbine Project feasibility and planning.		We completed our wind turbine feasibility assessment and determined that we must find another location to generate the optimum wind energy needed for the project.
Each site will develop a high-efficiency motor replacement plan.		We created a policy and are in the process of implementing a replacement plan across all facilities.
We will introduce three new sustainable manufacturing products and/or processes.		We launched several new products and processes this year that improve energy efficiency and waste outputs.
Implement three new corporate-wide technologies to increase energy conservation.		Our energy conservation projects helped FML save nearly $40,000.
Reduce Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) in the resin coating facilities by 15% based on 2008 data.		We reduced HAP emissions by 9.5% compared to 2008 levels.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5% in 2009 on a per unit basis by facility based on 2006 baseline.		We reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1.6% compared to 2006 levels.
Meet Fairmount’s carbon mitigation plan annual requirements.		We sequestered more than 90% of our Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions.
Every 3R (Recover, Recycle, Reuse) plant team will establish six specific plant goals. Cost savings or economic value generated from waste stream reductions will be tracked monthly.		Our 3R plant teams created specialized projects to reduce waste and measure the associated cost-savings.
Pursue partnership arrangement with composters to recover spent foundry sand from customers for beneficial reuse.		We continued efforts to expand our spent foundry sand recovery program.
Identify a minimum of three projects to utilize heat recovery methods at Fairmount plants to recycle heat and reduce utility costs.		We conducted three heat recovery projects that saved energy and reduced utility costs.
Establish partnerships with key customers and suppliers to increase 3R focus by making at least 15 presentations.		We began the process of educating key suppliers and customers about waste reduction and recycling.
Create a 3R/Sustainable Supply Chain Team sub-team to investigate packaging options to reduce waste streams.		The 3R Team collaborated with the Sustainable Supply Chain Team to successfully reduce our waste from packaging.
Promote recycling projects, programs and use collection containers in communities where we operate. Each plant location will establish two or more activities to support this goal.		All FML facilities participated in recycling projects and programs resulting in more than 8 million pounds of recycled waste.
Identify and select an ERP software and/or third party for railcar equipment management.		We identified an appropriate software solution and are in the process of assessing the investment.
We will participate in proposed government legislation to increase allowable maximum weights on over-the-road carriers. Improve net weights of truckloads between Menomonie and our Wheeler transload by 3%.		We successfully improved net weights on truckloads to reduce the total number of shipments needed to transport our products and raw materials.
Identify routes and procedures needed to optimize 10% of the transportation between our industrial and manufacturing plants and terminals.		We improved the efficiency of our logistics by triangulating shipments.
Three Fairmount sites will formalize land restoration plans.		Three FML sites worked to enhance the biodiversity of the area by creating site restoration plans.
Develop a plan for controlling invasive species at each Fairmount facility.		We improved our environmental footprint by creating a plan for invasive species removal and mitigation.
Plant support of resource conservation and efficiency initiatives.

We will be a leader in the development of sustainable products and processes.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
Review revolutionary innovation programs as applied to business.		We applied our learning from innovation experts to create an innovation process at FML.
Design a sustainable innovation program for Fairmount including an innovation center/facility concept and a process for innovation input from all facilities.		Our Business Innovation team developed a physical innovation center and designed a process to enable innovation across the organization.
Complete a water market survey to identify segments in which we might “Do Good and Do Well.”		We utilized information from water market surveys to better understand the segments where FML might successfully provide water filtration solutions.
Coordinate minimum of three joint meetings with Water Filtration Partners.		In late 2009, FML launched a new subsidiary, Fairmount Water Solutions, to manufacture and market water filtration technology.
Place 2,009 AquaClara water filtration units in the field.		We nearly doubled our goal by installing 4,000 water filtration units in developing countries.
Develop a new Fairmount Minerals/AquaClara system that reduces heavy metal contaminants levels in drinking water.		We are in the process of enhancing our water filtration technology to eliminate heavy metal contaminants.
Increase the amount (quantity) of recycled, recyclable, or re-useable raw material in finished goods packaging impacting a minimum of 10,000 units.		We exceeded our goal of increasing the amount of recycled material in our packaging.
Create a Customer Bulk Bag Reuse Program and implement with two customers.		FML worked with key customers to implement a new bulk bag reuse program that resulted in more than 190,000 pounds of waste diverted from landfill.
Plant support of sustainable product and process initiatives.

We will demonstrate that Sustainable Development pays.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
We will demonstrate that Sustainable Development pays through value creation and cost saving measures.		We calculated the value generated from FML’s sustainability practices to exceed $1 million.
Our annual 2009 healthcare spend will be 10% below industry trend.		Our healthcare costs are estimated to be 23% below industry averages.
Plant support of sustainable value generation initiatives.

We will continue to embrace and share the principles of the UN Global Compact as we expand internationally.

Description	Performance	Comments	Trend
Fairmount to sponsor one regional UN Global Compact meeting.		We hosted a regional UN Global Compact meeting in collaboration with our partners at Case Western Reserve University.
Obtain sustainability surveys from suppliers who represent at least 50% of our 2008 non-inventory spend.		More than 50% of our non-inventory suppliers participated in our sustainability survey.
Plant support of UN Global Compact principles.