To celebrate World Environment Day, we hosted a social media series throughout the month of June to highlight how we are working toward a sustainable society in cooperation with customers, employees and local communities. The YKK Group Environmental Pledge was signed in September 1994, and our commitment to promoting harmony with the environment remains our highest business priority.
At YKK, taking care of our environment and employing sustainable practices are key components of our management style, product manufacturing, and our CSR activities. It is, as a matter of fact, deeply ingrained in our corporate values and philosophy. In this brief interview with YKK Corporation of America’s President, Jim Reed, he shared some of YKK’s efforts to reduce our environmental impact.
We also interviewed members of the Environmental Compliance Committee who shared insights about their roles in the committee and within the company.
Gary Dodd
Environmental manager at YKK (U.S.A) Inc. Gary is vice chairman of the Environmental Compliance Committee (ECC). The ECC was established in 2009 to promote environmental compliance, share best practices and audit facilities in the North and Central America Region. It is comprised of members from different YKK companies in the North and Central America region. As vice chairman, Gary is in charge of coordinating activities pertaining to the committee, helping to develop agenda items for quarterly meetings, and reporting compliance issues and audit results to YKK Corporation of America’s Board of Directors Compliance Committee.
Frederic Daragon
Building maintenance manager at YKK Canada Inc. and a member of the Environmental Compliance Committee (ECC). Frederic explains that the ECC allows YKK companies from the North and Central America region to communicate effectively about issues regarding the environment. He also shares that the quarterly internal audits carried out by the committee help share best practices and identify challenges within the companies.
Xochitl Leiva
Process support superintendent at YKK El Salvador S.A. DE C.V. She also represents the company on the Environmental Compliance Committee. One project that Xochitl has been working on as a member of the committee involves communicating a monthly environmental topic of interest to all of YKK plants.
Luis Gomez
Environmental manager at YKK Mexicana S.A. de C.V. and an active member of the Environmental Compliance Committee, shares that “the environment is facing global challenges, which is why, we should take care of it without worrying so much about the borders dividing us. The environment has no borders.” Through his role in the committee, Luis has been able to provide support in the development of a group of environmental auditors in Colombia, El Salvador and Mexico.
Diana Moncada
From YKK Colombia S.A.S. Diana states that “corporate environmental responsibility today, involves so much more than simply developing a recycling or energy conservation initiative.” She explains that an environmentally responsible company is one that considers all the ecological impact generated by the production and operation of the company. The environment should always be considered as an essential element for the development of the company’s activities. “This will ensure the success of future generations.” she adds.
Brian Tielking
Wet process superintendent at Tape Craft Corporation shares that the Environmental Compliance Committee has helped reduce and identify problems regarding the environment and safety. He says that during his time as the ECC chairman the committee “decided to include safety as part of the audit process and helped form the Safety Compliance Committee in the same manner.”
Every year on June 5th and throughout the entire month, YKK Group offices around the world plant trees to recognize and celebrate World Environment Day. Check out this short video highlighting some of the tree planting activities that took place within the North and Central America region.
Learn how a group of YKK employees support their communities while making a positive impact on the environment. Thank you for sharing these wonderful photos Catheryn Chen, Lauren Simon & Kelly Ghahramani and for embodying YKK’s Fundamental Behaviors and Core Values.
