Displaying items by tag: ecolab

Ecolab Inc. has expanded its commitment to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to support the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) in establishing a global water standard. The AWS International Water Stewardship Standard aims to support water users globally in taking appropriate actions to evaluate and improve their impacts on watersheds.

Ecolab's two-year pledge includes both annual financial support and in-kind technical support and guidance by company experts to field test the draft AWS standard.

"Water scarcity and poor water quality impact more than a billion people around the world and millions die every year from diseases linked to water and sanitation issues," said Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab chairman and chief executive officer. "Ecolab is fortunate to have considerable water management expertise, and we're sharing this expertise with others who are working on the serious water challenges facing our world."

WWF is one of 10 organizations that form the AWS, aiming to promote the responsible use of fresh water. The Global Water Roundtable, a multi-year, multi-stakeholder standard development process sponsored by the AWS, drafted and is working to finalize the International Water Stewardship Standard.

Under the agreement, Ecolab will:

• Test the draft AWS standard with select customers at several locations to gain real-world experience in applying and refining the standard.
• Build market awareness of the need for, and advantages of, using the standard to reduce potential water risks by minimizing the negative impacts of water use in industry.

The first draft of the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard was released in March at the World Water Forum in Marseille, France. When finalized, the standard will define a set of water stewardship principles, criteria and indicators for how water should be managed at a site and watershed level in a way that is environmentally, socially and economically beneficial.

The standard is intended to provide water stewards with an approach for evaluating existing processes and performances within sites and watersheds, and ensuring that responsible water stewardship actions are in place to minimize negative impacts and maximize positive impacts.

A formal 90-day public consultation period for the first draft of the AWS International Water Stewardship Standard is open for public input through June 15. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit feedback via the AWS website, allianceforwaterstewardship.org. 

Source: Ecolab Inc.

Ecolab Inc. has announced that it has entered into a stockholder agreement with Cascade Investment, L.L.C. and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust related to their investments in Ecolab. Ecolab has amended its stockholder rights plan so that Cascade and the Foundation Trust would in the future be able to acquire up to 25% of Ecolab's outstanding shares. Cascade currently holds 27,001,348 shares, or 9.3%, and the Foundation Trust currently holds 4,366,425 shares, or 1.5%, of Ecolab's outstanding shares.

Under the agreement, if Cascade and the Foundation Trust own in the aggregate 15% or more of the outstanding Ecolab shares, Cascade and the Foundation Trust have agreed not to seek control of, or encourage others to seek control of, the company or the Board of Directors, and accordingly they will support the Ecolab Board's director nominees as long as a Cascade representative is given the opportunity to serve as a director. Currently, Michael Larson, Chief Investment Officer for William H. Gates III, and the business manager for Cascade, is an Ecolab director.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, saying, "Cascade and theFoundation Trust have a demonstrated record of making significant investments in companies for the long-term and being constructive shareholders. We have already enjoyed that experience with them over the past two years since they initiated their positions in our company. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with all of our shareholders as we work to grow our business and develop further superior returns."

The stockholder agreement has been included as an exhibit in Ecolab's current report on Form 8-K, filed May 7, 2012. 

Source: Ecolab Inc.

Ecolab announced that J. Erik Fyrwald, president of Ecolab, will leave the company to become the chief executive officer of Univar, a leading global distributor of commodity and specialty chemicals. Fyrwald joined Ecolab as part of the Nalco merger, which closed December 1, 2011, having served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Nalco since 2008.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, saying, "While Erik's departure was not unexpected, I will truly miss partnering with him. He is a first-class individual and executive, and the progress we've made in bringing our two companies together is clearly a reflection of his outstanding leadership and support. By bringing Nalco andEcolab together, we've created the global leader in water, hygiene and energy services. Erik has been a strong and consistent partner throughout our negotiation, merger and integration, always operating in the best interests of his company, shareholders and employees. Erik made significant contributions during his tenure to see this merger through and we are grateful for his service. We thank Erik for his partnership and friendship, and wish him well in this next opportunity."

Fyrwald stated, "I have truly enjoyed my association with Doug and the rest of the Ecolab team. The combined company is stronger than either company was before the merger, with better growth prospects and an outstanding management team. I am confident in their ability to achieve superior growth and success in the years ahead. Further, our legacy Nalco businesses are in strong hands, led by excellent managers in whom I have the greatest confidence and expect will continue to aggressively grow and develop their businesses. It is difficult to leave this terrific company, as well as my many Nalco associates, but I look forward to this next phase of my career with excitement." 

10 recent innovations empower global customers to preserve and protect Earth's resources

OnEarth Day, more than one million facilities around the world will be saving water and reducing energy use through innovations developed byEcolab, the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services. The company's products and services are used in hotels, restaurants, manufacturing plants, hospitals, refineries and many other locations to provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments.

"Our more than 22,000 sales-and-service representatives around the world combine their expertise with our pioneering technology to deliver positive environmental outcomes for customers and society," said Doug Baker, chairman and chief executive officer, Ecolab.

Ecolab has long been a leader in the development of products and services that provide outstanding results while reducing environmental impact. One of the company's earliest innovations, introduced in 1928, was a dispenser to efficiently control chemical use and reduce waste. The company's long history of innovation continues today with a number of award-winningEcolab programs designed to produce superior results while reducing water, energy, labor and disposal impacts. These include:

3D TRASAR technology for cooling water, a U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Award winner, saved customers nearly 93 billion gallons of water worldwide in 2011. The technology combines chemistry, remote services and sophisticated monitoring and control to improve a number of industrial operations. It is being expanded to other uses including boiler water and reverse osmosis membrane treatment, saving even more water and reducing energy use.

DryExx dry conveyor lubricant eliminates the water used in conveyors for glass packaging in beverage, brewing and food processing, reducing water use by as much as 500,000 gallons annually per production line. In a typical five-line plant, DryExx can save more than 2.5 million gallons per year. Dryer plant floors also enhance worker safety. It won Best Product design at the 2011 JustMeans Social Innovation Awards.

Aquanomic laundry system utilizes innovative wash processes and low-temperature chemistry to reduce water and energy consumption by up to 40 percent while providing clean, white and soft results. It received a Minnesota High Tech Association Cleantech Tekne Award, presented to businesses that manufacture environmentally sound solutions that reduce costs, inputs, energy consumption, waste or pollution.

PARETO mixing technology is a patented, engineered system that enhances chemical performance by optimizing the injection of chemical additives into industrial process streams. Initially launched in the papermaking industry, it saved customers more than 2 billion gallons of water and nearly 900 billion BTUs of energy in 2011. It is now expanding rapidly into new industrial applications including waste water treatment.

Apex Conveyor dish machine is designed to reduce water use and recapture heat, resulting in utility savings of up to 50 percent. The Apex Conveyor dish machine recycles heat, replenishes the wash-tank automatically and without interruption, and cleans and thoroughly de-limes itself automatically using an innovative, patent pending process. This innovative dish machine received the 2011 Kitchen Innovation Award from the National Restaurant Association.

BrightWaterTechnology is a patented nanoparticulate chemistry that increases production from existing oil reservoirs. Recovering up to an additional 5 percent of the original oil in place, this easy to implement and cost-effective technology reduces the need for drilling additional wells and extends the life of current oil reservoirs.

Envirocid Plus Clean In Place cleaner uses a patent-pending, blended acid formulation that helps reduce total phosphorus and nitrates in food processing plant effluent. It was named a 2011 International Dairy Foods Association Innovation Sustainability Award winner.

Excelerate ZTF zero trans-fat cleaning program supports food processors use of healthier zero trans-fat oils. However using these oils has the unexpected consequence of coating processing equipment and environmental surfaces with a stubborn residue. Ecolab's solution cleans this in half the time of other cleaning methods, improving the cleanliness of food processing environments. It was winner of an Institute of Food Technologists 2011 Food Expo Innovation Award.

Encompass Environmental Hygiene program provides healthcare facilities with a proven approach to improve the cleanliness of operating rooms and patient rooms, reducing the risk of infections. The process minimizes the amount of water and chemistry used during the cleaning and disinfecting process, reducing water use by 80 percent. The training and education program for operating rooms has received the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) "Seal of Recognition" for meeting the guidelines set forth in AORN's Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices.

COIL-FLO coil cleaning technology deep cleans and disinfects the coils in building heating and cooling systems. It helped the Fayetteville Veterans Administration Medical Center in North Carolina win a VA Sustainability award for reducing energy use and avoiding more than 1,900 tons of carbon emissions.

Ecolab has a strong commitment to innovation with 5,800 patents and 1,300 researchers; including 500 Ph.Ds., working in a network of 15 facilities located around the world. Over the past five years, the company has invested $750 million in R&D to develop programs to create cleaner, safer and healthier environments while helping reduce energy, water and natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, and minimize environmental impacts.

For the sixth consecutive year, Ecolab Inc. has been recognized by Ethisphere Institute as one of the world's most ethical companies. Ethisphere awards the annual designation to companies that maintain the highest ethical standards.

"Our company is guided by a strong sense of purpose and a commitment to our values," said Douglas M. Baker, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer. "We strive to do what's right, what's fair and what's honest while achieving our purpose -- to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier — protecting people and vital resources."

This is the sixth year Ethisphere Institute has published the World's Most Ethical Companies rankings. Ethisphere is a leading international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability.

"A strong ethical foundation is a competitive advantage, and Ecolab recognizes the important role corporate responsibility plays in improving its bottom line," said Alex Brigham, executive director, Ethisphere Institute. "Ecolab's inclusion as a World's Most Ethical Company demonstrates its industry-leading commitment to ethics and dedication to integrity."

The methodology for the award ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers. For more information, visit www.ethisphere.com. 

Source: Ecolab Inc.

Ecolab Inc. announced today that it has acquired Econ Indústria e Comércio de Produtos de Higiene e Limpeza Ltda., a provider of cleaning and sanitizing products and services to the Brazilian foodservice industry. Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, its annual sales are approximately US$9 million. The business operations will be integrated with Ecolab's existing Brazil Institutional business. No further details were disclosed.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented on the announcement, saying, "Econ operates a very similar business model to our own and serves a similar customer base in the expanding Brazilian foodservice market. This acquisition will increase our service capacity and scale, improve customer coverage, and strengthen our customer relationships and opportunities for our fast-growing Brazilian Institutional business. We welcome our new associates and customers toEcolab, and we look forward to growing with them."

With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. More Ecolab news and information is available at www.ecolab.com.

Source: Ecolab Inc.

The Board of Directors of Ecolab Inc. announced that it has appointed Michael Larson to the Ecolab board.

Mr. Larson is Chief Investment Officer toWilliam H. Gates III and the Business Manager ofCascade Investment, L.L.C., inKirkland, WA. He has been responsible for Mr. Gates' non-Microsoft investments as well as the assets of theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust since 1995. Previously, Larson was withHarris Investment Management, Putnam Investment Management andARCO. He also serves as a director of AutoNation, Inc.; Republic Services, Inc.; Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.; and Fomento Mexicano Economico,S.A.B. de C.V.

Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented on Larson's appointment, saying, "We are very pleased to have Michael join Ecolab's board. He adds valued public company board experience as well as a long-term shareholder perspective to our board. We look forward to his counsel as we further develop our aggressive growth plans."

Larson's appointment increases the size of Ecolab's Board to 15 from 14 members.

Ecolab Inc.'s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Douglas M. Baker, Jr., will address financial analysts at the Robert W. Baird & Co. 2012 Business Solutions Conference in Boston, MA on Wednesday, February 29. Ecolab will host a live webcast of Mr. Baker's presentation. Details for the webcast are as follows:

To access the webcast, go to the Investor Calendar section of Ecolab's web site at www.ecolab.com/investor and click on the webcast details. Listening to the webcast requires Internet access and the Windows Media Player or other compatible streaming media player.

With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. For more news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.

Ecolab today announced plans to relocate its German offices and research center in Düsseldorf to a new innovation hub in the city of Monheim am Rhein, 10 kilometers south of Düsseldorf. The new location, Im Weidental, will house Ecolab's European RD&E facility as well as its local sales and marketing functions.

The Monheim am Rhein facility will feature a customer innovation center, where Ecolab's innovative program and service solutions will be featured. Ecolab expects to begin relocating employees in November 2012 and finish in the first quarter of 2013.

"As we celebrate the 50^th anniversary of our business in Germany, it is an ideal time to announce our plans to move to an efficient new Innovation Center in Monheim am Rhein," said Phil Mason, president Europe, Middle East, Africa. "We chose the Monheim am Rhein location for its technical capabilities and for the additional space the facility will provide, which will enable us to co-locate key functions. This will help Ecolab promote further collaboration among our innovation teams and with customers to develop high-performing and sustainable solutions."

With 2011 annualized sales of $11 billion and more than 38,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. More Ecolab news and information are available at www.ecolab.com.

Ecolab Inc. was named an Outstanding Enterprise in Delivering Corporate Social Responsibility for the second consecutive year by China Business News (CBN), China's premier business media group. At the CBN 2011 China Corporate Social Responsibility Award ceremony today in Guangzhou, China, Ecolab was presented with the Top 20 Outstanding Enterprise Award for the company's contributions in driving social responsibility to all stakeholders in China.

"As the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, corporate social responsibility is a core value within our vision to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier," said Sam Hsu, Ecolab senior vice president and general manager of Greater China. "We continue to expand our presence in China, and as we're doing so, we're helping to advance the economic, social and environmental well-being of the communities in which we operate."

The 2011 CBN Corporate Social Responsibility Award program was judged by a panel of experts from research institutes, third-party certification agencies and the business community in China. The panel reviewed 280 leading companies operating in China to determine the enterprises that have best demonstrated integrity and high ethical standards through their corporate social responsibility practices.

With 2011 annualized sales of $11 billion and more than 38,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. More Ecolab news and information is available at www.ecolab.com.

Source: Ecolab Inc.