Manufacturers are far more likely in 2011 than they were just two years ago to cite sustainability as important to their success. That’s one of many conclusions contained in the just-released 2011 Next Generation Manufacturing Study, which was prepared by the MPI Group on behalf of the American Small Manufacturers Coalition.
According to the study, 59% of manufacturers surveyed rated sustainability as important or highly important in 2011 vs. 35% in 2009. Just 6% say sustainability isn’t at all important, compared to 16% in 2009.
Not surprisingly, the percentage of manufacturers progressing toward world-class sustainability grew as well: 28% of companies reported they were near or at world-class sustainability in 2011 vs. 20% in 2009.
Customers are demanding social responsibility, and U.S. firms are beginning to listen.
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