We like to say that sustainability is in our DNA at DMI Companies. As an HVAC product manufacturer, this statement is most clearly defined in our product development process. In creating innovative products, such as our GreenSeam+ Snap Lock Pipe and our new Ductmate Gecko Glue concentrate as well as through our operations, we aim to continuously improve our reduce, recycle, and reuse efforts as we implement projects for waste minimization and energy efficiency. This includes actively informing our customers on how changes to laws affect our product production.      

However, HVAC contractors still hold the most direct influence on the HVAC industry’s sustainability. By choosing HVAC products from a sustainable manufacturer, HVAC contractors can actively support efforts to reduce waste and increase efficiency in the HVAC industry.

For DMI customers — which include consumers of our Ductmate, Aire Technologies, GSI and Linx Industries brands — sustainability is often a major selling point for our brands. Now more than ever, as HVAC contractors head back to work, sustainability needs to be a major focus in driving how the HVAC industry returns to “normal.”

With the introduction of the Ductmate 35 Connection in 1978, our early focus as a company was on improving energy efficiency through the reduction of duct leakage. Over the next four decades, that focus grew to duct systems and accessories that improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

In 2009, we added sustainability as a corporate initiative and as our fourth corporate strategic objective in 2011. With an overwhelming positive response from our customers, we grew to conducting dumpster audits and tracking waste statistics. In total, our corporate sustainability efforts include three areas: the sustainability of products, operations, and employees.

This innovative infrastructure supports our product development and corporate culture while considering the social, economic, and environmental impact of all our decisions. This can result in products which avoid the use of harmful chemicals or could mean products are shipped in a manner that reduce unwanted packing on job sites helping to lower job site disposal costs. 

However, sustainability does not just focus on waste but also on economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental quality. Sustainable brands aim to produce quality products using durable materials with the most minimal footprint possible. This allows brands to reduce waste along the supply chain and allows the end user to cut costs as these sustainable products are built to last. Sustainable brands often produce their goods ethically, which means these companies do not take advantage of their workers. This also means prioritizing the safety of workers over profit.

The health and safety of DMI’s employees takes precedence over everything within the organization. Many of DMI’s lean and sustainability initiatives are designed to eliminate hazardous chemicals and reduce unnecessary strain on DMI’s employees.

Comment on COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is a significant threat to our industry and our communities. Although we hope this crisis will not be enduring, DMI has taken additional measures to ensure the health and safety of its employees. These additional measures may result in a negligible losses of manufacturing efficiency. As we endeavor to work our way through this pandemic, our sustainability and Lean initiatives are embedded into our everyday culture at DMI and its business units will continue to champion those initiatives for our industry.

A version of this article originally appeared in the June 2020 issue of SNIPS.