Goal Is 10% Cut
In Energy Costs;
All Employees
Join Competition
BY DOUGLAS WATSON
MANAGING EDITOR
Food City has implemented a comprehensive energy conservation objective (ECO) program across its 105-store retail supermarket chain.
The company set a goal of making a 10 percent energy reduction in each store as compared with that store's energy costs from the previous year.
The plan encompasses several components and includes a concentrated focus on proper usage/timing of interior/exterior and display case lighting, equipment settings, usage, cleaning and maintenance procedures, and the introduction of daily departmental conservation checklists.
The ECO program is being followed at both of Greeneville's Food City supermarkets, at 905 Snapps Ferry Road and 515 Asheville Hwy.
LOCAL REACTION
"Everybody is really excited about it," said Roger Cutshall, manager of the Food City store along Snapps Ferry Road, about the reaction of the store's 130 employees to the program.
As part of the program, the company is offering prizes to competing stores and their employees.
Cutshall said of the personnel at his store, "We've become a lot more aware of the importance of saving energy."
Ricky Landers, an assistant store manager at the Asheville Highway Food City, said the store now makes a point before closing every night to turn off unneeded power to various "prep rooms" in the back of the store.
"We've got a checklist we go by every night," said Landers, who added that the ECO program is well accepted by the store's personnel, who total more than 110 employees.
TRAINING PROGRAM
As part of the plan's training course, Food City associates were also invited to submit their suggestions for conservation.
The plan includes a two-tier rewards program for the stores with the greatest energy savings.
Every three months, winning stores for the period will be identified using a broad spectrum of measurement tools.
The top winner from each operating division (Tri-Cities and Knoxville Division) will receive:
* A $25 Food City gift card for every associate;
* A reusable Food City bag for every associate;
* A Food City ECO t-shirt for every associate, and
* Store associates are permitted to wear jeans with their ECO t-shirts each Friday for the next three months.
The top winner for the entire company also will win the right to retain the traveling ECO trophy for the next three months.
"A company news release said, "Rewards are also given to first, second, third and fourth place finishing stores.
"Upon the one-year anniversary of the program, the store with the greatest amount of energy savings for the previous 12 months will receive a cookout for every employee at the store, along with a $100 Food City Gift Card for each store associate."
Varying reward packages will also go to first, second and third place winners.
