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“There’s more than a mile of copper wire that connects the solar panels to the grid on our retread plant,” says Pete Gerry, owner of Pete’s Tire Barns, one of the largest commercial tire dealerships in the U.S.

Environmentally focused Pete’s Tire Barns goes green and saves money

By Bob Ulrich

Pete Gerry, owner of Pete’s Tire Barns Inc. in Orange, Mass., saves more than three million gallons of fuel per year thanks to his company’s green initiatives. He also recycles 360,000 pounds of polyurethane and close to half a million pounds of rubber annually.

“It’s a direction we’re all going in order to survive, and it’s not as hard as it seems,” he says.

Being environmentally conscious also has improved his commercial dealership’s bott om line by millions of dollars a year. He earns $750,000 just by recycling batteries, building materials, metal (think wheel weights, brass valves and wheels), wood, rubber, polyurethane, plastic, cardboard, even ink and toner.

“We used to pay 15 cents a pound to have the polyurethane put in a landfi ll. Now we grind it into dust, mix it in with virgin material and resell it.”

All the recycling has helped reduce waste disposal from $1,500 to $193 a month.

Each of his 16 stores produces less than one cubic yard of waste a week (compared to four to six cubic yards a week previously).

Gerry recently installed 850 photovoltaic solar panels on his retread plant. Th e panels cost $1,000 each, but they will power the facility with 170.10 kilowatt s per hour of clean energy.

His main warehouse also utilizes solar panels — and electric forklift s. Just by reducing the temperature in the distribution center in the winter from 60 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees F, the company saves roughly 8,000 gallons of heating oil per year.

As you might expect, Gerry gives his fl eet of 14 box trucks the green treatment as well.

All ride on Michelin XZA3 fuel-effi cient steer tires. When it’s time to retread the drive and trailer tires, he uses Bandag Fuel Tech ALSO IN CTD precure treads. Enhance the environment and improve

Th e vehicles are equipped your bottom line . . . 42 with road speed governors to prevent the trucks from Goodyear launches truck service network . . . 44 Commecially viable . . . 46

traveling at more than 65 mph. Th ey also can’t idle for more than three minutes.

All fl eet service truck bodies are aluminum so that they may be reused. Gerry estimates the lighter weight saves 1,100 gallons of gas a year.

Th e lift gates are galvanized to reduce the need for replacement due to the material’s resistance to rust. Th is also eliminates the need for yearly painting, which reduces emissions.

“We have ongoing driver training programs on reducing fuel consumption, with savings upward of 30%. We are developing a program that will identify drivers who are able to att ain fuel saving and sharing a percentage of those savings with the driver.” Pete’s Tire Barns won’t run its box trucks faster than 65 mph.

And his customers have taken note of his eff orts. fuel usage to zero(!) and turn his more than 100 company

“Lots of our customers are interested in partnering with vehicles into an electric fl eet. you if they can advertise that you are green.” “It takes a lot of time and planning, but at the end of the

Gerry says he is not done yet. He hopes to decrease his fossil year, all those litt le things add up.” ■