Trek Doing Things Right
by Joel on Apr.07, 2010, under News
A big company has a big footprint, so we need to tread carefully.
Trek is one of the biggest bicycle manufacturers in the world. But that doesn’t mean we want to throw our weight around. We continuously evaluate our manufacturing processes and business practices to be sure our actions, and those of our employees, reflect our better-world goals.
Green Energy
Trek is the first manufacturer in Wisconsin to switch entirely to renewable electric power. We used to burn 10.5 million pounds of coal each year. Now we burn 0. We’ve undertaken smaller-scale changes, too, like converting our entire Waterloo facility to low-energy-consumption lighting.
Smarter Shipping
Bikes are incredibly efficient vehicles. Trucks, not so much. We’ve worked hard to reduce our truck miles on two fronts: we use close sourcing to minimize shipping between our suppliers and our manufacturers, and we’ve revamped our distribution system to rely increasingly on intermodal shipping, eliminating thousands of over-the-road miles in favor of more efficient rail freight.
Car Pooling
At our Waterloo, WI headquarters, car poolers rule the pavement. Every parking space in the prime lot adjacent to our building is reserved for car poolers only. More than one Trek employee has seen the carpooling light while walking from the back lot to the office on a sub-zero January morning.
Bike Commuting
We love to see our people bike or walk to work, so we make it as convenient as possible. We have a dedicated Commuter Room for indoor bike parking, and full locker rooms for the change from bike togs to workday wear. Ride more than 12 miles to work, and breakfast or lunch is on Trek.
Short Trips
40% of car trips in the US are under two miles. To cut down on those inefficient jaunts, we offer loaner bikes that any employee can grab for workday errands or lunch runs.
