Mayor Steve Babick introduced the Environmental Leadership Award while Councilmember Christopher Axberg touched on a brief history of each company, and both presented the 2023 awards to the 10 Carrollton companies that have consistently complied with industrial pretreatment and stormwater regulations for a full year. Together, these companies have been honored by the City of Carrollton with this annual award more than 100 times for their consistent leadership and commitment to excellence and the environment.

Century Products, Inc.; Electro Plate Circuitry, Inc.; Image Industries; International Paper Company – Belt Line Road; QPC (Quality Powder Coating); Quantum Global Technologies, LLC.; Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products; Rudy’s Tortillas; Swiss American; and Wash Solutions Inc. were granted leadership awards at the meeting.         

Previously known as the Consistently Compliant Award, the City renamed it the Environmental Leadership Award to reflect the exemplary partnership between these industries and the City of Carrollton. Each company receiving the award has displayed vigilance and diligence in fulfilling industrial requirements to ensure the safety of Carrollton’s water.

A panel of environmental quality managers in the City along with a representative from the City Council reviews these companies each year to determine which are meeting and exceeding requirements to display environmental excellence. From the 10 companies awarded the Environmental Leadership Award in 2023, two were selected to additionally receive Carrollton’s Environmental Distinction Award. Century Products, Inc. is a winner for the second year in a row, and Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products receives recognition for the fifth time in the award’s history.

This award is given to organizations that display leadership in creating a sustainable future in their facilities and in the community through commitment to compliance, demonstration of enhanced pollution prevention practices, and display of environmental stewardship through recycling efforts, resource reductions, and more.

Century Products, Inc. has manufactured cleaning products in Carrollton since 1995 and has made considerable improvements in facilities to reduce energy consumption, wastewater generation, and product loss. The replacement of approximately 200 light fixtures with LED lights has reduced energy consumption and eliminated 54 tons of carbon (CO2) emissions. Installation of new water tanks in the plant has led to a reduction of 27.1 tons of wastewater a year, and the company has also successfully diverted 1,277 tons of material from landfills through recycling. Century Products continues to make strides in sustainability through a variety of environmental management programs and a focus on future reduction goals to achieve efficient waste management and recycling.