Monday, April 18, 2011

A. Duie Pyle Steps Up Corporate Sustainability, Solar Energy Output Runs Warehouse at Full Capacity

WEST CHESTER, PA, April 12, 2011 - A. Duie Pyle, a leading Northeast transportation and logistics provider, is making one giant step forward in minimizing its impact on the environment as the company's largest warehousefacility churns out solar energy at full capacity.

Pyle's most recent commitment to environmental sustainability, a megawatt solar installation, is already producing the desired results for the company's 570,000 square foot warehousing and distribution facility. Now running at full capacity, the solar energy produced is supplying 100% of the electricity needs for the building. The installation, managed by MainLine Solar of West Chester, PA, involved a roof mount of 4,464 flat panel modules which covers approximately 50 percent of the facility's rooftop.

This latest large-scale solar installation is not the only initiative in place at Pyle to advance its environmental sustainability long-term.  Environmental measures are in motion throughout the company, including fuel-efficient equipment and engine idling controls, recycling and waste reduction of motor oil and tires, energy efficient lighting, and organizational changes that range from the use of sustainable cleaning products to printing and copying practices that default to two-sided printing.

The company's Information Technology department is also playing a critical role and has more than a dozen systems integration, data management, and software solutions in development that are changing the way the company improves fuel efficiency, an equally noteworthy contributor to protecting the planet.  

"Technology is a centralizing component of business and environmental performance," said Michael Crowley, vice president and chief information officer for A. Duie Pyle.  "By focusing on incremental process improvements, technology makes it possible to create business efficiencies that customize our business to the needs of our customers every single day." 

Crowley's team developed over 500 enhancements in 2010 alone and he has already begun a full-scale implementation of sophisticated route planning optimization technology, which will improve terminal operations efficiencies that directly impact fuel usage. Pyle's Information Technology Council engaged in a nine-month planning effort which involved extensive research and market scan, complex RFP review ,and structured product demonstrations to find the right solution. With the first phase of implementation scheduled for later this year, the company expects to achieve pick-up and delivery efficiencies resulting in an annual 5-6% reduction in miles, maintenance costs, and fuel consumption.

By choosing more modern technology with greater efficiency, Crowley's efforts to reduce the company's environmental footprint is already scoring results.  To date, printer/copier/fax modernization efforts have reduced the number of individual devices from 173 to 43 MFPs (multi-function printers).  With over 250 hardware and software replacements complete, Pyle employees have experienced a ten-year jump in technology that is affording the company substantial reductions in power usage. A server virtualization/consolidation project will also contribute to power savings through a reduction of at least 50% of Pyle's physical servers and attendant space.  Pyle's IT department is also helping to create a paperless environment for shippers, having worked with nearly 200 customers to convert them to paperless EDI transactions last year.  

"Our plan for sustainability is to achieve social, environmental and economic performance - that's a triple bottom line," said Peter Latta, owner and chairman of A. Duie Pyle. "Our sizable investment in technology and solar energy is heading in that direction." 



About A. Duie Pyle

Headquartered in West Chester, PA, A. Duie Pyle is the Northeast's premier transportation and logistics provider, with extended LTL service coverage into the Southeast, Midwest, and Canada. "Pyle People Deliver" is its corporate promise to customers that outstanding service will always be its first and foremost mission. A family-owned and operated business for more than 85 years, the company provides a complete range of transportation and distribution services. A. Duie Pyle LTL Services operates 17 Service Centers, strategically located throughout the region, with direct service to the Caribbean.  A. Duie Pyle Transport Services Group provides specialized truckload services to meet the short-haul needs in the Northeast.  A. Duie Pyle Warehousing and Distribution operates with more than two million square feet of public and contract warehousing space and is fully integrated with the company's LTL and TL service offerings for seamless distribution.   For information about A. Duie Pyle capabilities, visit www.aduiepyle.com or call 800-523-5020.

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