A Sustainable 

Growth Strategy
“Green manufacturing practices provide strong 

benefits for communities on many fronts. 

It’s important that businesses recognize that 

environmental stewardship can work hand-inhand with sound business practices.”

—Michael B. Coleman, Mayor of Columbus, Ohio

What Is E3?

E3—Economy, Energy, and Environment—is a 

coordinated federal and local technical assistance 

framework that helps communities work with their 

manufacturing base to adapt and thrive in a new 

business era focused on sustainability.

E3 provides manufacturers with customized, handson assessments of production processes to reduce 

energy consumption, minimize their carbon footprint, 

prevent pollution, increase productivity, and drive 

innovation. As a result, E3:

•	 Helps foster a smarter and more efficient green

workforce.

•	 Promotes sustainable manufacturing and growth 

through innovative technology.

•	 Improves the regional economy by retaining 

jobs in companies that are better positioned for 

global competition.

•	 Reduces environmental impacts while gaining a 

competitive advantage.

How Do Communities Benefit?

America’s manufacturing sector significantly

contributes to the economic viability and success 

of many communities. By participating in E3, 

communities realize benefits that reach far beyond

their manufacturers’ production lines. These 

communities will be able to:

•	 Improve the profitability and competitiveness of

existing manufacturers.

•	 Enhance their ability to attract new business.

•	 Stimulate the local economy by creating new, 

well-paying jobs and by helping to retain

existing ones.

•	 Train and equip workers with the skills 

necessary to compete in a global economy.

•	 Minimize the frequency of abandoned 

manufacturing facilities.

•	 Enable utilities to expand manufacturing 

customer base without increasing capacity.
E3 in Action

“The E3 Program gave us the framework in which 

to take an objective look at all key functions 

of our business and identify opportunities for 

improvement as well as execute those changes.”

—John O’ Neill, plant manager at

Besam Entrance Solutions, Monroe, North Carolina

E3 Beginnings

In 2009, E3 started two successful pilot programs in 

Columbus, Ohio, and San Antonio, Texas. Interest 

in Ohio began when American Electric Power (AEP) 

approached Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman 

to garner his support to pilot an E3 project. Mayor 

Coleman quickly saw the links between E3 and the 

city’s Get Green Columbus goals. AEP and Mayor 

Coleman worked with the Solid Waste Authority of 

Central Ohio; the local Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership, TechSolve; and the University of 

Dayton Industrial Assessment Center to carry out 

E3 assessments at six manufacturers that employ 

more than 1,000 local residents. The results were 

astounding—the E3 Team identified opportunities to

save an average of $800,000 per facility, and within 

a few months, two suppliers had already saved 

$240,000 by implementing E3 recommendations.

In Texas, CPS Energy, the nation’s largest 

municipally owned electric utility, has a goal of 

reducing 9 megawatts of electrical demand from the 

San Antonio manufacturing sector by 2020. To help 

achieve this goal, CPS Energy partnered with the 

Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, to provide 

lean, clean, and energy efficiency training to help

San Antonio manufacturers implement opportunities 

that increase efficiencies in energy and materials

use. The 10 facilities that participated in the program 

in 2009 are expected to save more than 2.9 million 

kilowatt-hours of electricity annually and save over 

$300,000 as a result of the pilot.

North Carolina

The North Carolina National Institute of Standards 

and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension 

Partnership (NIST MEP) affiliate has joined

forces with more than 150 statewide partners 

to develop and implement an E3 initiative. In 

addition to advancing sustainable manufacturing 

and workforce development strategies, E3: North 

Carolina includes a worker safety review for all 

participating manufacturers with support from the 

state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

With the support of all the partners in 2011, E3: 

North Carolina has engaged 21 manufacturers, 

conducted 68 assessments, trained over 100 

workers and identified $9.3 million in savings*. In

2012, North Carolina leaders will bring E3 to seven 

new communities and 14 new manufacturers. This 

will bring E3: North Carolina’s geographic reach to 

approximately 25 percent of the state.

*	 Results as of 12/9/11

NCMEP is a part of North Carolina State University’s

Extension Service
For more information:

www.e3.gov

Kristin Pierre, 

Program Manager for E3

(EPA)

pierre.kristin@epa.gov

202-564-8837

Ben Vickery, 

Sustainability Program Manager

(NIST MEP)

ben.vickery@nist.gov

301-975-2954

Scott Hutchins, 

Partnership Development

(DOE)

scott.hutchins@hq.doe.gov

202-586-0670

Rachel Newman Karton, 

Program Manager

(SBA)

rachel.newman@sba.gov

202-619-1816

Kevin Thompson,

Workforce Analyst

(DOL)

thompson.kevin@dol.gov

202-693-2925

Jeanette Waters, 

Project Manager

(USDA)

jeanette.waters@osec.usda.gov

202-720-7040