A customized delivery fleet of 52 Thermo King multi-temperature Sprinter vans is saving Sheetz Inc., an Altoona, Pa.-based, family-owned convenience restaurant chain operation, more than 148,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually compared to conventional box delivery solutions.
This innovative distribution method is just one example of Sheetz's commitment to sustainability and energy and operational efficiency. The Sheetz Sprinter van fleet travels 5.6 million miles a year, making 160,000 deliveries.
Thermo King, a manufacturer of temperature control systems for a variety of mobile applications and a brand of Ingersoll Rand, will present Sheetz with the "Energy Efficiency Leader Award" in recognition of its outstanding efforts to increase the company's environmentally sound practices. Sheetz is the first ever convenience retail chain to win the award.
Details of the award presentation:
- Ray Pittard, president of Thermo King North America, will present the award to Stan Sheetz, president and chief executive officer, Sheetz Inc.
- The awards presentation will be at 10:00 a.m. on July 31 at the Sheetz Center for Shwellness, 350 Sheetz Way, Claysburg, Penn. 16625
- One of the customized Sprinter vans will be onsite at the awards presentation
Sheetz added the vans to its larger fleet in 2012 to support distribution of baked goods from its Sheetz Bros. kitchen bakery and commissary. This facility was designed to increase efficiency and variety of products for customers at all Sheetz locations. The company wanted to ensure availability of its award-winning menu and to deliver on its promise to offer superior customer service.
The vans provide the precise multi-temperature delivery conditions needed to ensure product freshness and maintain shelf life for deliveries to the more than 450 Sheetz locations spread across Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
"Delivering fresh products to every single Sheetz location every single day is a critical piece of our operations," said Stan Sheetz, president and chief executive officer, Sheetz. "We have to make sure to meet our quality standards with each delivery. We're pleased that Thermo King has provided us with a temperature precision solution to meet these standards while also saving money and minimally impacting the environment."
Sheetz leaders; Thermo King; Thermo King of Pittsburgh, the local dealer; and Arctic Vans collaborated to develop a solution that incorporated a highly efficient multi-temperature refrigeration unit with electric standby, custom air distribution and an auxiliary Espar heating system. The heating unit delivers exceptional temperature recovery in extreme cold conditions and the electric standby option enables the unit to be plugged while loaded at the distribution center, saving more than 85,000 gallons of fuel each year.
The refrigeration units increase distribution efficiency and flexibility by allowing highly efficient, multi-temperature transport. Designed to provide the capacities needed for smaller trucks and vans, the refrigeration units allow controlled temperature settings for dual-temperature zone transportation. The configuration is adjustable; it can be fresh-fresh, fresh-frozen, frozen-fresh, or frozen-frozen.
The refrigeration unit also provides an environmentally-sound transport refrigeration choice suitable for metropolitan deliveries, since it is powered by the vehicle rather than an additional diesel engine. The Sheetz Inc. fleet of heavy duty trucks also features energy-efficient multi-temperature refrigeration units with door sensors to maximize energy and operational efficiency.
Company-wide commitment to sustainability
Sheetz's sustainability goal is to minimize the company's impact on the environment and to continue to be a good long-term partner in the communities they serve. One of their most significant sustainability accomplishments to date is the grand opening of the Sheetz Center for Shwellness, a health and wellness center for employees.
This 11,000-square-foot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building meets LEED criteria for a sustainable, "green" model. The LEED program is internationally recognized and fostered by the United States Certified Building Council. The Shwellness Center is the first LEED-certified building in Blair County, Penn.
Today, Sheetz buildings, lots, and car washes feature solutions such as LED lighting, low E-glazing on storefronts, low-flow plumbing fixtures, more efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning design, natural gas heat and hot water where available, LED site lighting, water reclaim, and temperature-controlled automatic doors on car washes.
The lighting alone generates a 45 percent reduction in interior lighting energy costs and up to a 55 percent reduction in exterior lighting energy costs compared to the lighting it replaced.
