Devastating droughts throughout the southeastern U.S. raised concerns about sufficient water supply and the environmental impact of wastewater from the Polymer Group Inc. (PGI) plant in Mooresville, N.C. A team of 20 PGI employees, led by Jeff Ward, reliability engineer and green project leader, went to work on a solution—a new way to treat cooling tower water without chemicals, allowing it to be released to wastewater treatment without harm. The project led to a 2010 Regional Advanced Manufacturing Award in the Green Process category for PGI. Other sustainability efforts pursued by PGI in 2009 (and beyond) include reducing the company’s carbon footprint, water consumption, raw material use and solid waste.