February 23, 2006 at 5:56 a.m.
Governor’s Award goes to local company for its global approach
Governor’s Award goes to local company for its global approach
Shafer Electronics was honored last week with a Governor’s Award for Excellence in waste and pollution prevention. Shafer Electronics officials were collecting their plaques, right alongside executives representing mega-Minnesota companies like Marvin Windows and Schwan’s.
Carl Weiberg, company spokesperson, explained that the company exports to EU nations and under EU regulations effective July 2006 lead can no longer be used in the manufacture of items entering European Union-member countries. Shafer Electronics figured these same regulations also could likely become effective in the United States sometime soon, so the company “... self-funded a development process” through which the lead solder in Shafer’s printed circuit assemblies has been replaced with a more environmentally-friendly material.
Weiberg said Shafer Electronics is “...doing our best to be a leader in technology....we are also sharing how our process can be adapted for others’ use.”
Weiberg explained that the company’s intention in applying for this statewide recognition was to promote public education of the need to replace materials like lead; and to be “pro-active and assist in bolstering the state’s economy.” He said smaller companies in Minnesota must be aware of opportunities like this manufacturing issue, and act on them, or the state could suffer.
Shafer Electronics was founded in 1973 by Dick Cohoes. The assembly-manufacturing firm is still family owned and celebrates its loyal workforce made up of many local citizens.
Weiberg noted Shafer Electronics’ workforce has an average employee tenure of nine years. That translates into quality products and instills company pride from the top-down.
The firm’s website is at www.shaferelectronics.com. The facility is on Regal Ave. in downtown Shafer, just north off Hwy. 8.
Governor Tim Pawlenty said in a statement announcing the awards, “I congratulate winners from both the government and private sectors...they have discovered through persistence, ingenuity and resourcefulness that preventing waste and pollution makes sense.”
Other awardees in the governor’s program were Marvin Windows for replacing adhesives and coatings with less toxic materials; Schwan’s which partnered with a cleaning chemical supplier to reduce phosphorus in Schwan’s wastewater; Prestige Cleaning Center, Mpls. which helped introduce environmentally friendly dry cleaning eliminating the use of perchlorethylene.
Community awardees include th city of Wayzata for a pilot project diverting household organic waste to composting, Fridley for community television programming on recycling and Camp Ripley’s waste reduction program.
This is the 15th year the governor has presented these awards.
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