Lexmark has been named a winner of the Manufacturing Leadership Awards for the ninth straight year. Presented by the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the awards recognize companies and individuals that are shaping the future of global manufacturing.   

Lexmark won a 2020 award in the Sustainability Leadership category. According to the council, winners in this category “show a broad and deep commitment to sustainability through product design and end-of-life strategies, meaningful metrics, or policies that ensure sustainable practices internally and across their supply networks.” 

Lexmark won for the company’s rainwater harvesting system project at Lexington, Kentucky, headquarters. Implemented in May 2018, the system recovers rainwater to be reused at the utility plant cooling towers that support cooling the Lexington site. Lexmark collaborated with a local engineering firm, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and the University of Kentucky to develop and install the system, which benefits both Lexmark and the community. The goal of the project is to improve water quality, reduce stormwater runoff and flooding, provide stormwater quality education and reduce site municipal water consumption.  

Since May 2018, more than 15.6 million gallons of harvested rainwater have been used in Lexmark’s cooling towers.  

“By improving water quality and reducing our water consumption, this project is making a tremendous difference for Lexmark and the local community — further demonstrating our commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Tonya Jackson, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer. “We are proud to again be recognized with a Manufacturing Leadership Award.” 

Lexmark will be recognized at the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on Oct. 8. See the full list of 2020 award winners. 

This is the second award for Lexmark’s rainwater harvesting system. Last year, the American Council of Engineering Companies of Kentucky awarded the project team with the Grand Conceptor Award, the organization’s top honor in the state, as part of its annual Engineering Excellence Awards program.