TxN 20 Highlights — Construction and Manufacturing

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  1. TxN 20 Highlights — Construction and Manufacturing

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    2022 TxN 20: Texan-led leadership in conservation for a sustainable future in Construction and Manufacturing.

    The Texan by Nature team is excited to present the fourth annual list of Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) Honorees. TxN 20 recognizes outstanding work in conservation and sustainability from Texas-based businesses.

    It’s an opportunity to showcase innovation, commitment to conservation, and best practices from the industries keep Texas running: Agriculture, Architecture, Financial Services, Food, Beverage, & Grocery,Technology, Energy, Healthcare, Municipal Services, Retail, Transportation, and Construction & Manufacturing. 

    Meet the 2022 TxN 20  Honorees leading sustainability in Construction and Manufacturing: CEMEX and HOLT CAT.

    $13 billion invested in environmental impact abatement — 2022 Honoree CEMEX

    Who is CEMEX?

    Four-time TxN20 honoree CEMEX creates sustainable value by providing industry-leading products and solutions to satisfy the construction needs of customers around the world. CEMEX strives to make the future better for customers, shareholders, and communities by becoming the world’s most efficient and innovative building materials company.

    How are they setting the standard?

    CEMEX employees logged more than 200 hours volunteering at over 30 external community events, and safely hosted two large in-person events at the facility. The company has given $90,000+ in community donations and sponsorships. CEMEX has also invested $13 billion in high-quality abatement techniques, including projects to measure air emission reduction. CEMEX reduced the use of local water sources by 90% compared to water consumption before implementing CEMEX’s water recycling system, resulting in 1 billion gallons of water recycled annually. The state-of-the-art water recycling system was designed to recycle 12,000 gallons of water per minute

    Saved over 5 million gallons of water by updating equipment – 2022 Honoree HOLT CAT

    Who is HOLT CAT?

    HOLT CAT is the authorized Caterpillar® heavy equipment and engine dealer for 118 counties in South, Central, North and East Texas. Established in 1933, HOLT sells, services and rents Cat equipment, engines, generators and trucks for construction, mining, industrial, petroleum and agricultural applications.

    How are they setting the standard?

    Holt Cat invests in environmental sustainability through its employees: 1 Environmental Specialist, 2 full time Land Managers & a Facility Management team of 19. Peter Holt, CEO of HOLT CAT, is committed to wildlife conservation efforts through his role on the Executive Committee of the Texas Wildlife Association. Corrina Holt Richter, President, serves on the Board for the Brackenridge Park Conservancy. Holt Cat has also installed solar arrays at 11 locations, totaling 1515 kW of energy. These systems collectively produce approximately 2+ million kWh of electricity annually.  This production equates to an offset of 1417 metric tons of CO2, 305 gasoline-powered vehicles in a year, 3,518,191 miles driven, 159,487 gallons of gasoline, 276 homes’ electricity consumed, and 3281 barrels of oil consumed. 

     

    In terms of natural resources, Holt Cat manages 55,000 acres of open wildlife preserve including a 0.5 acre butterfly garden in San Antonio headquarters campus. In all, Holt manages over 55,000 acres of open wildlife preserve areas. HOLT constructed new equipment wash racks in Pflugerville, Weslaco and Fort Worth to complement existing updated wash racks in San Antonio and Edinburg. These wash racks recycle water to eliminate the need to utilize fresh water each time they are used. These reduce the water utilized at these locations by approximately 5,038,848 gallons annually

    Why Forward Thinking Leaders in Construction and Manufacturing Matter

    According to the EPA, 30% of all US carbon emissions come from the upkeep of buildings. Considering the impact of the spaces and places we live, as we build a world to accommodate our growing population it’s important to choose sustainable solutions at every step.  Green construction, construction and manufacturing that incorporates high energy-efficiency, minimizes waste, and mitigates its environmental impact, creates billions of dollars worth of jobs in the US while protecting natural resources. With this year’s honorees building the future,  it looks brighter than ever.

    How TxN20 Honorees Are Selected Each Year

    To select the 2022 TxN 20 Honorees, the TxN Team evaluated submissions and conducted independent research across 2,000+ of Texas’ publicly traded and private companies in 12 key industry sectors. 

    All companies were evaluated on a 17-point scoring system, from which the top 60 highest-scoring companies moved on to the final round of TxN 20. A selection committee of top industry leaders and experts was then formed to evaluate the top 60 companies and select the final 20 businesses recognized as TxN 20 Honorees.

    Honorable Mentions: Standouts in Sustainability


    In addition to this year’s TxN 20 honorees, here are three industry standouts for best practices in conservation and sustainability coming from companies across the agriculture industry.

    Industry Innovator: KBR 

    Zero Harm is KBR’s Environmental, Social, and Governance philosophy. It is based on ten pillars, five of which are directly related to environmental sustainability. The spirit of Zero Harm is ingrained into the culture of KBR and highlights their commitment to sustainability. With Zero Harm in mind, KBR implemented their Global Environmental Policy in October 2021 to act as a guide for all KBR operations. The policy clearly states their focuses for the future and plans regarding sustainability moving forward including altering their travel to reduce emissions and prioritizing partnerships with other environmentally conscious companies.

    Industry Innovator: Quanta Services

    Quanta Services focuses on the planet by implementing various environmental initiatives. Currently, Quanta Services is building infrastructure that facilitates 5g and electric vehicles to move towards a carbon neutral future. The company also provides various case studies on their sustainable projects making them a leader in the construction and manufacturing industry.

    Industry Innovator: Vulcan Materials

    Vulcan Materials Company has prioritized sustainability by focusing on their energy intake and amplifying their commitment to conservation. They partnered with Live Oak Wind Facility in San Angelo, TX in June 2021 and have been receiving wind energy for over one year now. Additionally, Vulcan has been recognized by The Wildlife Habitat Council’s (WHC’s) Corporate Wildlife Habitat Certification and International Accreditation Program 44 times for their restoration and wildlife enhancement of quarries. Most recently, Vulcan partnered with the City of Atlanta to transform a quarry into a reservoir for emergency water use. This reservoir holds more than 2 billion gallons of water, ten times more than the city’s previous backup water reserve!

    Get Involved:

    Is your company at the forefront of sustainability in Texas? Share your work with Texan by Nature by submitting Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) data that showcases how your company benefits people, prosperity, and natural resources to programs@texanbynature.org.

    To be considered for the official TxN 20 list, companies must:

    • Have operations and employees based in Texas;
    • Share a demonstrated commitment to conservation & sustainability;
    • Showcase tangible efforts, impact, and data in conservation;
    • NOT be a conservation-based nonprofit (501c3).
  2. TxN 20 Industry Highlights — Architecture, Design, and Development

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    2022 TxN 20: Texan leadership in conservation for a sustainable future in Architecture.

    The Texan by Nature team is excited to present the fourth annual list of Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) Honorees. TxN 20 recognizes outstanding work in conservation and sustainability from Texas-based businesses.

    It’s an opportunity to showcase innovation, commitment to conservation, and best practices from the industries that keep Texas running: Agriculture, Architecture, Financial Services, Food, Beverage, & Grocery, Technology, Energy, Healthcare, Municipal Services, Retail, Transportation, and Construction & Manufacturing. 

    Turning their pledge into action, this company has diverted 100.73 Metric Tons of CO2 through carbon offsets purchases – 2022 Honoree: Overland Partners

    Who is Overland Partners?

    Overland Partners is a San Antonio-based architecture and urban design company setting the standard in infusing stewardship into architectural practice.

    Overland Partners implements a rigorous sustainability review process, reevaluating their goals and commitments every three years with 100% of their employees committed to carbon emission reduction. Their pledge to the American Institute of Architecture’s 2030 commitment means they have reported emissions data annually since 2014.

    From this commitment comes action. Overland Partners’ PV panels reduce the amount of electricity generated from fossil fuels. Through the purchase of annual carbon offsets for its operations, Overland Partners offset 100.73 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in 2021. These offsets translate to the carbon offset from roughly 600 mature trees. The work doesn’t stop there. Overland Partners’ in-house composting program amounts to 5,475 gallons of waste (454 pounds of methane) diverted from landfills each year.


    A Global Design Powerhouse Saving 21 Billion Gallons of Water — 2022 Honoree
    Stantec

    Who is Stantec?

    Stantec is an international engineering, architecture, and design consulting firm that serves a wide range of projects and communities. Experts in innovation, Stantec worked with a top technology company to help improve water conservation and prevent pollution across its supply chain, supporting everything from engineering to capacity building. 

    Stantec’s conservation efforts start at the source, investing $4.4 million to support communities, granting $830,000 in STEM scholarships for underrepresented and BIPOC communities, and providing more than $610,000 in STEM grants. During the annual Stantec in the Community Week (SITC) Stantec employees engage in conservation and volunteering efforts for the communities they serve. In 2021, 2946 employees donated time to 341+ community organizations.

    Why Forward-Thinking Leaders in Architecture, Design, and Development Matter

    Reducing consumption of non-renewable resources, minimizing waste, and creating efficient, healthy, and productive environments are key to building a sustainable future. By making environmentally conscious design decisions at every phase of a project, architects and designers are reducing the negative impacts and carbon footprint of our environment. Smart, forward-thinking designs ensure a future tradeoff of less carbon emissions, less energy consumed, and more water conserved throughout a building’s life cycle. These decisions, combined with community efforts and investments in conservation are driving Texas to a more sustainable future.

    How TxN20 Honorees Are Selected Each Year

    To select the 2022 TxN 20 Honorees, the TxN Team evaluated submissions and conducted independent research across 2,000+ of Texas’ publicly traded and private companies in 12 key industry sectors. 

    All companies were evaluated on a 17-point scoring system, from which the top 60 highest-scoring companies moved on to the final round of TxN 20. A selection committee of top industry leaders and experts was then formed to evaluate the top 60 companies and select the final 20 businesses recognized as TxN 20 Honorees.

    Honorable Mentions: Standouts in Sustainability

    In addition to this year’s TxN 20 honorees, here are three industry standouts for best practices in conservation and sustainability coming from companies across the architecture, design, and development industry.

    Industry Innovator: Dewberry

    • Since 2014, Dewberry has reported annual sustainability data for the American Institute of Architecture 2030 Commitment. 94.3% of their projects have met the 25% lighting density reduction target.
    • Dewberry’s Engineering Innovation Building demonstrates a commitment to sustainable design, with a large native grass space and a high-efficiency mechanical system providing a 30% indoor water use reduction and saving 6,795,990 gallons of water thus far.

    Industry Innovator: Jacobs

    • Jacobs has overseen large global projects, such as the Pensacola East Bay Oyster Habitat Restoration Project, which, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, placed 33 oyster reefs along the Santa Rosa shoreline and has expanded to the continent’s largest reef reconstruction project.
    • Focusing on the future, Jacobs’ Butterfly Effect program is a new Climate Response Education Initiative teaching young students to learn about sustainability and making positive impacts on climate change.

    Industry Innovator: Gensler

    • With over 188 million square feet of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) registered and 110 million square feet of LEED-certified building projects, Gensler has been able to divert 150 million tons of waste and save 1.2 billion gallons of water annually. 
    • Within a decade, Gensler has committed to eliminating all future net emissions.

    Get Involved:

    Is your company at the forefront of conservation and environmental sustainability in Texas? Do you want to be recognized for your efforts? Contact Texan by Nature at programs@texanbynature.org.

    To be considered for the official TxN 20 list, companies must:

    • Have operations and employees based in Texas;
    • Share a demonstrated commitment to conservation & sustainability;
    • Showcase tangible efforts, impact, and data in conservation;
    • NOT be a conservation-based nonprofit (501c3).
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