Acme Brick Company was recognized as one of 20 Texas companies committed to environmental conservation at an Oct. 23 summit in Dallas.
Texan by Nature (TxN), an organization founded in 2011, honored the “TxN 20” at its annual Conservation Summit, at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
"We thank Texan by Nature for including us in this year's TxN 20,” said Ed Watson, President and CEO of Acme Brick Company, "Our culture obligates us to support the cities and towns we call home through active community stewardship. Here in Texas, we operate 10 manufacturing facilities and 19 sales facilities, as well as our headquarters - and conservation is a priority for every Acme associate, at every location, every day."
Acme's TxN 20 application included the following conservation achievements:
- year-on-year reduction of 8% in water consumption, and a 16% reduction in municipal water by making more use of runoff water;
- reducing landfill waste by more than 10% through reuse, repurposing, and recycling;
- a pilot program that turns what would have been a waste product ("spent" lime from smokestack scrubbers) into an ingredient for concrete block production; and
- 16% reduction in diesel fuel consumption and 15% reduction in gasoline consumption compared with 2019.
These and other conservation/sustainability successes are summarized in the company's annual Corporate Social Responsibility report, a publicly available download (PDF) at brick.com/sustainability.
To select the 2024 TxN 20, the TxN team evaluated submissions as well as conducted independent research across 2,000+ of Texas’ publicly traded and private companies within 12 industry sectors. All companies were evaluated on a 17-point scoring system to narrow down the list of the top 60 companies in Texas. A selection committee of top industry leaders was formed to evaluate the top 60 companies and select the final honorees for the TxN 20.
To be eligible for the TxN 20 list, a company must:
- Have operations and employees based in Texas;
- Share a demonstrated commitment to conservation & sustainability;
- Showcase tangible efforts, impact, and data in conservation; and
- NOT be a conservation-based nonprofit (501c3).
Besides Acme Brick Company, other members of the TxN 20 for 2024 include DFW International Airport, General Motors, H-E-B, Holt Cat, and Mary Kay. A full list of honorees is at https://txn20.org/2024-honorees.
About Texan by Nature
Texan by Nature (TxN) was founded in 2011 by former First Lady Laura W. Bush, to unite conservation and business leaders who believe that Texas’s prosperity is dependent on the conservation of natural resources. TxN partners deeply with conservation groups and business, acting as an accelerator for conservation groups and a strategic partner for business. Its projects and programs (TxN Conservation Wrangler, TxN Certification, Symposia Series, and TxN 20) have impacted 7 million plus people, 19.5 million acres, and all of Texas’ 254 counties over the last two years. TxN's website is https://www.texanbynature.org.
About Acme Brick Company
From its founding in 1891, near Millsap, Acme Brick Company has provided Texans with high-quality, permanent building materials. Today Acme operates seven brick plants across Texas, as well as three concrete block plants through its Featherlite subsidiary. All Acme Brick are hard-fired to withstand extreme Texas weather and exceed the standards prescribed by all building codes. Proof of Acme quality comes in two forms: the number of prominent Acme Brick structures still standing strong after 100 years; and the industry’s first 100-year limited guarantee for homeowners. The company places a priority on environmental stewardship, investing to reduce fuel and water consumption through production efficiencies, and diverting waste from landfills through recycling and repurposing. Acme Brick Company’s headquarters are in Fort Worth.