A Sudbury-area company that specializes in sandblasting and protective coatings has been recognized for its efforts to reduce emissions in its operations.
Morin Industrial Coatings Ltd. was named Member of the Year by reThink Green during its 2023 Sustainability Awards held virtually on April 20.
ReThink Green is a non-profit organization that facilitates a suite of programs to help businesses and organizations across Northern Ontario become more sustainable.
Located in the city’s Walden Industrial Park, Morin Industrial provides sandblasting services, and applies protective coatings to pipes, tanks, floors, and more, in industries ranging from mining to pulp and paper to rail.
The company has spent the last decade making sustainability a priority, after owner Rick Morin saw the toll his business was having on the environment.
In 2013, Morin Industrial built a brand-new, 13,000-square-foot facility with state-of-the-art equipment that helped contain the dust and material debris generated from blasting.
Adam Eusepi, the company’s general manager, said that helped kickstart the company’s journey toward sustainability.
“We saw firsthand the impact new processes had in comparison to the way things had been for many years, in a stereotypical dirty industry,” Eusepi said in an acceptance speech.
Prioritizing environmental conscientiousness has, at times, put the company at a financial disadvantage compared to competitors that are less so, he noted.
But some corporate partners have indicated their eagerness to work with Morin Industrial because of their contributions to the environment, since the company’s values align with their own initiatives.
Morin Industrial is keen to help spread the word about its work and supports other sustainability initiatives in the community, Eusepi said. This spring, the company is sponsoring the Junction Creek Festival and Trout Release, an annual event held to engage the community in creek stewardship and conservation.
“We like to include ourselves in such practices,” Eusepi said. “This is yet another example of future generations of businesses locally (doing) their part.”
This marks the second time Morin Industrial has been recognized by reThink Green. In 2018, the company received the New Member Award after joining the organization.
Morin Industrial was one of six businesses to be recognized during this year’s Sustainability Awards. Other awards given include:
- Educator of the Year: Cori Davy, Central Manitoulin Public School (Mindemoya)
- Youth Leadership Award: Madison Chrusch and Samantha Naokwegijig (Sudbury)
- Erica Lagios Memorial Award in Food Sustainability: Knowhere Public House (Sudbury)
- Environmental Champion: Rachelle Niemela (Sudbury)
- Sustainability in COVID: Manidoo Bineshii Dreams (Atikameksheng Anishnawbek)
