AGRO Merchants Group, Alpharetta, Ga., kicked off a new energy management program in the North American region, designed to improve the company’s energy efficiency and sustainability network.

“Energy is the second highest cost in our business, with millions of dollars spent every year to refrigerate and power our extensive network of facilities. We have set ourselves a goal of reducing energy spend in the U.S. region by 15% by the end of 2020, and with the right focus and commitment, we believe this is very achievable,” says Adam Rushby, vice president of engineering.

As a key part of the energy management program, AGRO will install LED lighting in all of its U.S. facilities in 2018, as well as implement energy teams in each of its sites that will consist of representatives across the facility in engineering, operations and office staff, responsible for identifying and implementing energy best practices. In addition, AGRO will work to minimize energy usage through adoption of the latest equipment and technologies.

“The AGRO team is very excited about the program and the benefits we will see from it. This has the full support from the company leadership, and we are all dedicated to ensure the program is a huge success,” says Rushby.

For instance, AGRO partnered with Axpo Iberia, Spain, to revamp the energy sourcing of its Portugal plant. This facility now uses electricity from clean and renewable sources in its Portugal plant.