Annual amount of gas used to heat our manufacutring facilities and provide gas to our machines and equipment.

We use about as much natural gas annually as many households do. These numbers are staggering when compared to our competitors.

We can keep our usage low because:

• We are located in a new manufacturing facility that is well insulated and efficient.
• Our air make-up units on timers, and we get the best use of our heat.
• We use the heat from our machines whenever possible.
• We work four-day work weeks (10-hour days) and heat the facilty 36 hours a week. Heat turns on one hour before start time and turns off two hours before shut down.

The biggest reason our gas usage is so low compared to others is that we do not have the old- fashioned, forced-air drying ovens, which are used 12 months a year. Our finish is air dried and ready to crate after 60 minutes. Again, our finish materail costs 30-percent more but we have zero expense in curing our finish.