72 Portside Drive, Mt Maunganui – One of the world’s most eco-effective industrial buildings

Planning

The FIL Portside drive project, completed in October 2007, began with the interactive planning process in 2005. In the early stages of the process the FIL leadership team rejected the concept of waste. The selection of ideals was influenced by the need to go well beyond environmental compliance to achieve a true "point of difference" for FIL. The importance of this was recognized for the marketing brand, what the FIL brand means to local and international customers. There was also an understanding of the need for a strong employment brand and what must be done to attract and retain talented employees.

FIL business values developed as part of the interactive planning process include Innovation, environmental best practice, trust and integrity and a performance culture. These values, and the eco-effective principle, waste = food, were imparted to the key partners at the initiation of the project.

Using idealized redesign the company employees planned the layout of the site, in particular their own work areas designing in key elements of lean thinking to reduce set up times, movement and product losses.

A true partnership existed among all members of the team and the end result shows the benefits.

Results

Eco-effective elements & benefits

• Passive solar design produced a building using 70% less energy than an orthodox building of the same area.
• Recovery, treatment and reuse of rainwater provides 95% of company water requirements and halves the quantity of storm water runoff from the site.
• High levels of insulation, solar water heating, high efficiency lighting, solar tube lighting and heat recovery and regeneration is used throughout the building and manufacturing processes. To see more on the lighting systems used click here.
• A safe & pleasant work environment is provided; all work areas have a high level of natural lighting and ventilation. Benefits include increased productivity and fewer staff sick days.

TOC/Lean thinking elements & Benefits

• Linear flow of materials and packaging in manufacturing streams with no back flow.
• Permanent locations for portable plant reducing set up times.
• Location of finished goods office next to printer used to create customer order picking slips
• Construction of a dedicated product development pilot plant inside the manufacturing area.
• Wash down hose reels located at points of most frequent use.
• Dedicated dye handling room located at point of addition to process tanks
• Lower waste disposal costs.
• Lower maintenance costs.
• Improved product quality and yield.
• Far greater flexibility and productivity in operations
• Improved house keeping