Manufacturer Converts Factory to Run on Solar Power
Healthcare manufacturer Thornton International, Inc. has installed a solar panel system at its headquarters and production facility in Norwalk, Conn.
Thornton's conversion to solar power will enable the company to make its products using as much renewable energy as weather conditions permit. A combination of internal corporate funds and federal grant monies from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 paid for the project.
"As business people," said Brett Thornton, the company's vice president, "even though we want to do our part to preserve the planet, we have to base our decisions on
whether or not a major factor of production, like energy, is cost effective; any green initiative we undertake has to be profitable. It turns out that solar power is commercially viable and reduces energy costs after a brief investment recovery period."
The company makes a line of yarn-based interdental cleaning products designed for people with gum diseases and dental bridges and implants.