Atlanta-based EIFS producer Sto Corp. announced that it has achieved the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System certification for all North American company locations. The certification was granted by control and inspection company SGS.

Sto Corp. attained the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System accreditation after a series of audits at its manufacturing facilities in North America, as well as the corporate headquarters in Atlanta. Locations will be assessed annually to ensure continual development of the Environmental Management System currently in place.

Since the implementation of the EMS system, Sto has achieved a huge reduction in materials sent to landfill through company-wide recycling programs including paper and cardboard recycling. Other areas of improvement include: reduction of electricity use in all facilities; wastewater reduction and recycling in its manufacturing processes; and a program for airborne particulate capture and exposure reduction. These efforts help Sto minimize its carbon footprint.

Initiatives for 2009 include continuation of the program aimed at reducing overall energy consumption, further increasing recycling frequency and type, and improving employee’s environmental awareness. These initiatives offer additional business benefits, as well as an even greater reduction in environmental impact.

“Sto’s motto for more than 50 years has been ‘building with conscience’,” stated David Boivin, President and CEO of Sto Corp. “This means that our guiding force in the design and manufacture of quality products is the impact that we make by our operations, services and products. Simply this means doing the right thing for our customers, employees, communities, stake holders, and the environment.”

The ISO 14001:2004 international standard provides both a model for streamlining environmental management and guidelines to ensure environmental issues are considered within decision-making practices.