By Lisa Mackinder | MiBiz
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KALAMAZOO — Manufacturers need any edge they can get to stay profitable.

Coxline Inc. manufactures custom enclosures for the electronics, fluid power and pneumatic control industries. The company works closely with sister companies W.F. Wells and Wellsaw to provide comprehensive sheet metal, machining and engineering solutions to customers. COURTESY PHOTOS

Rather than carve off part of their bottom lines for utility bills, many businesses have decided instead to invest in energy efficiency upgrades. Whether intentionally or not, the energy-saving steps also help companies improve the environmental impact of their facilities.

Coxline Inc., a manufacturer of custom electronic, fluid power and pneumatic control enclosures, implemented an “end-to-end retrofit” of its facility’s lighting in March 2011 to help improve the company’s energy efficiency, said Ed Smith, manager of Coxline.

“We look everywhere for cost savings,” he told MiBiz.

Coxline’s sister companies — Kalamazoo-based Wellsaw Inc. and Three Rivers-based W.F. Wells Inc. — implemented similar improvements.

All three organizations worked with Midwest Energy Group LLC, a Kalamazoo-based energy services provider that helps customers improve their energy and operational efficiency. Midwest Energy works with clients to identify and prioritize potential energy savings and design and implement customized energy solutions.

Improving energy efficiency is never a one-size-fits-all operation, said Mike Halbeisen, senior sales representative at Midwest Energy. At Coxline, 455-watt metal halide lamps were replaced with 220-watt, six-lamp fluorescent models. While halides lose about 30 to 40 percent of their brightness within three months, the new fluorescent bulbs maintain 100 percent of their brightness over 94 percent of their life cycle.

“It’s always brighter when we leave,” said Halbeisen.

A brighter work environment with better light — no more yellow hue from the halides — helps lead to greater visibility, which “equals less mistakes,” said Smith.

Importantly, the retrofit also helps the company save money. The savings for Coxline amount to approximately $4,300 per year in energy costs on its 35,000-square-foot building. Wellsaw will save approximately $3,400 per year on its 45,000-square-foot building. The W.F. Wells division should realize the most savings, about $9,000, at its 52,000-square-foot building.

In addition to long-term energy savings, the upgrade also triggered a Consumers Energy rebate for $5,400 at Coxline, $4,200 at Wellsaw and $9,000 at W.F. Wells.

The new lamps are also less expensive to purchase when they need to be replaced. The lighting upgrade will reduce the company’s carbon dioxide footprint by 34.79 metric tons, the equivalent of taking seven vehicles off the road each year.

The environmental benefits of the lighting project fit with Coxline’s history of recycling oils and cardboard it uses for its operation, Smith said.

“We’re always looking for ways to reduce cost and help the environment,” said Smith.

While the cost savings certainly helped motivate the company to consider the project, it also had to be a simple, easy process that allowed take Coxline to focus on its operations. Smith said Midwest Energy handled everything from start to finish, including performing the energy audit, pricing the project, implementing the upgrade and handling of all associated paperwork. The company also disposed of all old lamps and ballasts. The work took about one week per facility to complete.

“It was an incentive knowing that we could continue day-to-day operations with no interruptions,” said Smith.

The century-old Coxline manufactures custom enclosures for indoor and outdoor purposes. The enclosures house transformers and large building sprinkler pressure gauges. The company has had success bidding on Federal Homeland Security contracts.

“We’ve made 300 (enclosures) to date in the last year,” he said.

Combined, the companies have 70 employees. Coxline has many customers in Southwest Michigan, but it services the entire country. Shipping costs prevent the enclosure manufacturer from serving an overseas market.

W.F. Wells and Wellsaw, however, have a global presence. They manufacture specialized equipment, such as crystal cutting machines and industrial bandsaws that can cut steel. One custom-made saw can be used underwater to extract hot spots from nuclear fuel rods.

Smith said the combined resources of the three companies lend strength to the organizations, which work together on a daily basis. Coxline supplies sheet metal, Wellsaw offers machining capabilities and W.F. Wells provides experienced engineers, he said.

“Each stands individually, but we have united knowledge,” said Smith.