Employees and managers at Boise Cascade’s Kinzua Lumber are working together to improve operations at the Pilot Rock sawmill. With help from Energy Trust, they implemented energy-saving strategies that saved far more on energy costs than they expected while boosting team morale and increasing the mill’s ability to stay competitive.

By participating in Energy Trust’s Strategic Energy Management initiative, the Pacific Power customer gained access to technical support and $36,100 in Energy Trust cash incentives to help it develop strategies for long-lasting energy savings. Through a combination of behavior changes, new practices and process improvements, the mill is saving more than $99,000 in energy costs every year. Annual electricity use has dropped by 1.8 million kilowatt hours, which is equivalent to the energy needed to power 160 average Oregon homes for one year. The energy team’s initial goal was to save 5 percent off the mill’s baseline energy use. By the end of March 2013, the company was saving 14 percent. The team meets monthly to track energy performance, identify additional energy-saving opportunities and build employee participation.

“We’re in a very competitive industry,” said Mike Zojonc, mill manager, Boise Cascade. “Our employees understand that by saving energy, we’re saving revenue that we can direct back in our business and help sustain the longevity of this location.”