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U-Haul Receives 2022 Innovation Award Kendra Ansley, NATM Executive Director The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) is excited to premier a new award this year, the Innovation Award. As NATM members continue to exemplify great feats of creativity and innovation in the areas of technological advancement, green practices, and workforce development, the Association wanted to celebrate these achievements and perhaps inspire others to continue to innovate. And with that, the Innovation Award was born. The inaugural winner of the NATM Innovation Award is U-Haul. In the area of green practices, U-Haul has much to speak of. U-Haul’s Midtown Campus was given a platinum level Green Business rating from the City of Phoenix which requires the company completed 41-55 actions in the areas of waste diversion, transportation, water conservation, energy reduction, and sustainability. The Midtown Campus was also recognized as a 2020 S&P Global Platts Energy Award finalist in the areas of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustained Excellence – Green Initiative. The Midtown Campus features 24 electric vehicle charging stations, LED lighting with sensors, insulated scrim ceiling, and high-efficiency HVAC with optimized ductwork. U-Haul’s green efforts include a million-dollar renovation of Anna Mary’s Café to include energy efficient appliances and an improved ventilation system to reduce heating and cooling costs. The Café now uses recycled-content to-go containers. U-Hauls innovations also include significant contributions to employee happiness and health, improving recruiting and retention opportunities. The company offers a gourmet coffee bar, freshly prepared meals, and various health eating options to power their workforce through the day. In August of 2021 the company opened its new multi-million-dollar Shoen Fmaily Conference and Fitness Center. The 54,000 square foot facility includes a complete gym with weights, cardo equipment and resistance training, www.NATM.com
fitness classes, the U-Haul Arena basketball court, golf simulator, and the on-site Premise Health medical clinic with a lab and physical therapy room. The facility also boasts a conference center with smart conference rooms with audio and visual integration for facilitating meetings with remote audiences – a strong leg up in today’s world with increasing remote meetings. Finally, U-Hauls Glendale facility boasts two Salvagnini L3 Fiber Lasers offering computerized laser-cutting
and automatic ordering of raw materials as stock runs low. It also works as smart vending machine for all production material used in robotic welding and cutting. The facility also has 6 robotic units handling much of the welding workload while manual welding areas service more delicate assignments. U-Hauls efforts to become greener, improve employee satisfaction, and automate processes are a fantastic example of innovation in the industry. ■ May/June 2022
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