Meritor Inc. announced that its facility in Heath, Ohio, has been awarded two grants totaling $200,000 for installing environmentally friendly lighting in the plant. The company received an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grant for $128,000 from the Ohio Department of Development’s Office of Energy through participation in the Energy Efficiency Program for Manufacturers.

The grant, which was initiated in February 2011, is a 50-percent cost match for 1,200 new energy-efficient lighting fixtures at the plant. Additionally, Meritor earned a $72,000 grant from American Electric Power Ohio through its energy-saving rebate program reflecting annual electricity savings of more than 1.5 million kilowatt hours resulting from the installation of 2,383 high-efficiency lighting fixtures during a 36-month period.

“At Meritor, we consider sustainability an economic, social and environmental requirement for success,” says Richard Hanlon, vice president, Environmental Health, Safety and Facility Services. “Our efforts focus on social responsibility, innovative product and process design and operational excellence in safety and environmental protection. Meritor has established long-term sustainability goals that include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. The collaboration between our Heath facility and federal, state and local officials is an excellent example of this commitment.”

Meritor’s Heath facility supplies axles for the municipal coach, bus and specialty axle markets. “We appreciate the hard work from all of the employees involved in this project,” says Mike Deep, site manager for the Heath facility. “Everyone wins through sustainable practices such as reducing energy consumption. The facility benefits from the significant savings achieved while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact.”