Florida Tile was honored twice recently for its environmental sustainability, by the University of Kentucky for its achievements in resource sustainability practices in 2011, and by the Kentucky Energy Alliance for its commitment to energy management.

On Nov. 3, The University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture recognized Florida Tile and others who “promote sustainable practices and have made impacts at the state regional and global levels.” Winners were chosen based on their contributions to societal, corporate, economic and environmental sustainability. The award ceremony was part of the University’s Sustainability and Environmental Summit.

Florida Tile was presented with the Corporate Sustainability Award in the Small and Medium Company category.

In a public statement announcing the award, the college stated, “For 40 years, Florida Tile has been manufacturing tiles in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Recently Florida Tile’s parent company, Panariagroup, invested well over $20,000,000 in state-of-the-art tile manufacturing equipment, and sustainability was an important consideration in the new manufacturing process.”

“From sourcing local raw materials, to re-using waste streams, to energy efficient motors and kilns, Florida Tile is proud to be one of the most environmentally friendly production facilities for tile in the world. And they haven’t stopped improving; with recent upgrades in lighting they are using less than 30% of the energy it used to take to light their buildings. In addition to sustainable buildings, they produce sustainable products. Porcelain tile has the longest useful life-cycle of any flooring option on the market today. Their products also emit no volatile organics and are certified by GREENGUARD for their lowest emitting category.  Florida Tile is proud to manufacture world-class tile products in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and is poised for many years of sustainable growth,” the statement continued.

Previously, at the Oct. 11 meeting of the Kentucky Energy Alliance (KEA), Florida Tile was honored for achieving the Save Energy Now (SEN) Level One, the top rating for energy management, at its Lawrenceburg facility.

KEA meetings are presented as part of Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center’s environmental sustainability training series and provide a forum for attendees to learn from one another, discussing their concerns and experiences in trying to improve energy efficiency at their facilities.

Save Energy Now is a Kentucky initiative funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and also involves the Kentucky Department of Energy Development and Independence and the US Department of Energy.