In 2022, Premier continued to do what we do best, asking the why to deliver the how in custom packaging, warehousing, and distribution solutions for our customers. Look at the numbers to see how busy we were.
We sold close to 4 billion sq feet of corrugated in 2022, compared to 3.3 billion in 2021. If all that corrugated was laid out end to end, it would reach out to the Moon, back to the Earth, and back to the Moon again! (The distance from the Earth to the Moon is 1.261 billion feet.)
That’s a lot of packaging!
Premier served our customers with 1,100+ employees spread over more than 90 locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.
That includes our six production facilities in Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Pedricktown, New Jersey; Lebanon, Ohio; Thomson, Georgia; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Here’s a map of all our locations.
With our goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, Premier completed its first greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory last year. GHG is measured in MTCO2e, or metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. MTCO2e is used to compare emissions from various GHG on the basis of their global warming potential by converting amounts of other gases to the equivalent amount of CO2. (If you’re having trouble picturing a “ton” of a gas like CO2, this MIT article puts it in perspective without getting too wonky.)
To reduce these emissions and become net-zero carbon by 2040, we are challenging ourselves to reimagine what’s possible in the packaging and logistics world. One example: We are shifting to electric forklifts in our warehouses and distribution centers as part of our strategy to phase out propane. Our Louisville Distribution Center is already propane-free, and our overall propane usage is down by 17% from 2021 to 2022.
We are also exploring which of our facilities might be able to install onsite generation of renewable energy. And we are studying our Scope 3 Emissions from transportation, including shipping of our products using third-party logistics (3PL) partners, and employee commuting, to determine how we might reduce them.
Our first-ever Sustainability Report, which will be released in February, delves deeper into the environmental impact of our operations as well as our strategies to become more sustainable. It also talks about our governance; diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; and even our philanthropic efforts in the communities where our employees live and work.
What do all these numbers really mean? You can count on Premier for your packaging needs.