Trane, a brand of Ingersoll Rand, held a celebration marking significant expansion to its Columbia, South Carolina facility, and ongoing efforts in environmental, social and business sustainability. Governor Henry McMaster, local and statewide public officials, and other esteemed members of the community joined Trane business leaders, employees and customers to:
· Celebrate the more than $100 million expansion of the facility, and the high-performing, energy-efficient HVAC products it manufactures;
· Highlight the facility’s installation of a 1,342 kW solar power system, which reduces over 74,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the system’s 25-year lifespan;
· Present a grant from the company’s charitable foundation to further educate and train the next generation of skilled workers and STEM enthusiasts; and
· Recognize employees for their personal commitment to the plant’s expansion.
Trane unveiled more than 1 million square feet of space for advanced manufacturing equipment, maintaining the innovation and production of heating, cooling and ventilation products for the company’s Commercial HVAC business. The investment applies Trane’s expertise in environmental technology and energy efficiency to reduce energy use,greenhouse gas emissions and waste-to-landfill.
“This is a celebration of our commitment to customers, employees, and our community,” said Donny Simmons, president, Commercial HVAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “As a major employer in the area, we know that investments in our people and plant will give back to the Columbia community for years to come. We thank the state of South Carolina, as well as Richland County, for their partnerships.”
“We’re excited but not surprised that Trane chose to expand in Columbia,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “Trane is a world-class organization that needed a world-class workforce and a collaborative business environment, and they found it in South Carolina. We celebrate their expansion and continued success.”
Trane leaders presented a $5,000 grant through the Ingersoll Rand Foundation to EdVenture Children’s Museum in support of early STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in the area. With this grant, Trane Columbia will sponsor the museum’s summer 2020 Robotics Camp, including financial support for local underprivileged students.
“EdVenture Children’s Museum has worked proudly with Trane and the Ingersoll Rand Foundation since 2015,” said Nikki Hill, executive vice president, EdVenture. “Trane’s ongoing support, including through this latest grant, enables our continued efforts to provide innovative, hands-on learning experiences to local students that inspire a new wave of lifelong learners.”
The Columbia facility expansion, along with workforce initiatives and community donations, are in line with the company’s 2030 Sustainability Commitments, which it announced in May upon accepting 35th Annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development. The company designed these commitments to:
· Meet the challenge of climate change including reducing customer carbon footprint from buildings, homes and transportation by one gigaton1 CO2e– equivalent to the annual emissions of Italy, France and the United Kingdom combined.
· Transform its supply chain and operations to have a restorative impact on the environment including achieving carbon neutral operations and giving back more water than we use inwater-stressed areas.
· Increase opportunity for all, strengthening economic mobility and bolstering the quality of life of our people including gender parity in leadership roles, a workforce reflective of our community populations, maintaining livable market-competitive wages and broadening community access to cooling comfort, housing and food.