Safe Company Practices Environmental Excellence

ZiLOG Inc., which recently celebrated 1 million hours without a lost-time accident, has received Idaho's most prestigious environmental award, the third annual "Environmental Excellence" trophy. The award, which is given to companies that "demonstrate the best overall efforts in environmental enhancement beyond what is required by law," was presented at the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry's (IACI) annual conference in McCall, ID.

IACI VP for Natural Resources Brent Olmstead praised ZiLOG for improving air quality, implementing conservation and recycling programs, and demonstrating a company-wide commitment to protect and respect Idaho's natural resources. "ZiLOG's commitment to the environment is best evidenced by its being one of the first companies in the Pacific Northwest to receive an International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001 designation," Olmstead said. "The ISO designation is an internationally recognized standard for environmental management. Key components of the standard include commitments to comply with environmental regulations, prevent pollution and continuous improvement."

Olmstead said the Environmental Excellence award recognizes companies "that take the extra step in environmental protection. ZiLOG has a strong management philosophy of protecting the environment and it has dramatically reduced emissions. It has reduced VOC (volatile organic chemical) emissions by 2 tons per month."

"This award is a testament to the commitment our employees have made to protect Idaho's environment and build ZiLOG into a world-class company," said Ken Elkington, ZiLOG's VP and corporate environmental, health, and safety officer. "We think we have set a very strong foundation for protecting the environment—as well as the health and safety of our employees—that will carry us into the future."

ZiLOG (Campbell, CA) was founded in 1974 in Silicon Valley, and established its worldwide manufacturing facilities in Nampa, ID in 1979. As one of the original semiconductor companies, ZiLOG invented the largest-selling 8-bit microprocessor in the world, the Z80 MPU. Today, ZiLOG designs embedded and integrated circuit solutions for devices such as power tools, household appliances, interactive toys, cordless telephones, televisions, e-mail, and point-of-sale devices.