1,000 Tons of Cardboard Recycled & Energy Costs Reduced by 44 Percent

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (July 2010) – Bradshaw International, Inc.—a leading marketer of housewares products and best known for its flagship brand, Good Cook®—has taken significant measures to reduce its environmental impact at its Southern California facility over the last 18 months.

With approximately 1 million in aggregated square footage and 2.3 acres of green belt surrounding its corporate office, Bradshaw International has implemented several eco-efficient strategies.

To reduce its water use, the company worked with the City of Rancho Cucamonga to implement a new irrigation system that uses reclaimed water for its 2.3 acres of green belt. The system not only reduces Bradshaw’s water costs, but also reduces its impact on the city’s water supply—an important issue for Southern California businesses and residents, particularly during drought seasons.

After adding 400,000 square feet of warehouse space, the company strategically aligned all warehouse racks adjacent to skylights, which provide natural lighting to the work areas. Additionally, automated, motion-sensor lightening units are used to reduce light and electricity. Each warehouse aisle is equipped with its own set of lights that are activated by human motion and turned off when the sensor detects no movement. The updates to the lighting system will cut energy costs almost by half (44 percent).

“When we added the extra warehouse space, our goal was two-fold: we wanted to implement ways where we could be a good steward to our city and also to the environment,” said Mike Rodrigue, President and CEO of Bradshaw International. “As a team, we all agreed that it did not make sense to have all warehouse lights on during business hours, especially since team members tend to work in specific aisles of the warehouse at a time. We also upgraded our warehouse equipment from propane to electric. It reduced our costs in gas, and the equipment is recharged at night during non-peak hours when the cost of electricity is less expensive and more abundant.”

Bradshaw’s warehouse and corporate offices have also gone 100 percent paperless by eliminating paper printing for work orders, packing slips, invoices and more. Finally, the company has continued to recycle plastic wrap, cardboard and all recyclable packaging material. Bradshaw recycles approximately 1,000 tons of cardboard each year.

“Overall we’re very pleased with the changes we’ve made,” Rodrigue said. “They allow us to reduce our environmental impact and also become more efficient and savvy in the way we use our technology.”

About Bradshaw International

Bradshaw International is a privately owned company based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., with family heritage dating back to 1905. Bradshaw International is a premier marketer of housewares in the U.S., and the largest kitchen gadget supplier in the world shipping more than 150 million pieces annually. Its family of brands span the areas of kitchen tools & gadgets, cookware, bakeware and cleaning products, which includes: Good Cook®, Bonny, Profreshionals™, Bialetti, Oneida®, Betty Crocker®, Butler®, a division of Bradshaw International; Mr. Clean®, Dawn®, and Black and Decker®. For more information about Bradshaw International or its products, please visit www.bradshawintl.com.