2015 CSR Report from Hypertherm shows growth in community engagement and continued progress toward 2020 environmental goals

Hypertherm, a manufacturer of plasma, laser and waterjet cutting systems, is out with its annual Corporate Social Responsibility report, measuring 2015  progress on Hypertherm’s social and environmental goals.

The report covers three different CSR disciplines: the community, the environment, and Associate well-being. Highlights from 2015 include an increase in hours spent volunteering, success engaging more students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, the opening of a regional recycling center, and the hosting of Hypertherm’s first ever Supplier Sustainability Summit to discuss shared challenges and best practices.

“Last year served as a pivotal year for our initiatives. Most notably, it marked the halfway point on our path toward our 2020 environmental stewardship goals,” said Jenny Levy, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Hypertherm. “In evaluating our journey over the past five years, we’ve learned that although our organization is transformed by this work, continued partnership with our suppliers, customers, and community is critical.”

The report, available at www.hypertherm.com/CSR, shows that 81 percent of Hypertherm Associates volunteered in 2015 serving an average of 15,5 hours in the community. Combined, that amounts to more than 18.000 volunteer hours donated to nonprofit organizations in 15 different countries. The Hypertherm Owners’ Philanthropic Endeavors (HOPE) Foundation meantime awarded 107 grants, 20 more than in 2014, in support of strategic focus areas including health and wellness, food and shelter, and education and the arts.

As a manufacturer with a long history of engineering innovation, engaging future generations in STEM fields is of particular importance. To that end, Hypertherm reports reaching more than 7.000 students through its support of STEM programs. This support includes both time and money with Hypertherm Associate-volunteers providing STEM related coaching and also welcoming more than 700 students to Hypertherm for educational tours, job shadow days and hands-on workshops.

As 2015 marked the halfway point toward Hypertherm’s 2020 goals, the company looked at not only year over year progress, but progress in relation to its 2010 baseline year. Those numbers show a marked decline in landfill waste, from 211 tons in 2010 to 47 tons at year’s end. On the health and safety front, the company’s 2015 safety record came in at 1.9 incidents per 100 full-time Associates, well below the industry average of 4.3, and the Hypertherm Associate Wellness Center is now providing primary care to 250 people, more than half way toward a target of 400 primary care patients.

Hypertherm designs and manufactures advanced cutting products for use in a variety of industries such as shipbuilding, manufacturing, and automotive repair. Its product line includes plasma, laser and waterjet cutting systems, in addition to CNC motion and height controls, CAM nesting software, robotic software and consumables. Hypertherm systems are trusted for performance and reliability that result in increased productivity and profitability for hundreds of thousands of businesses. The company’s reputation for cutting innovation dates back nearly 50 years to 1968, with Hypertherm’s invention of water injection plasma cutting. The 100 percent associate owned company has more than 1,400 associates along with operations and partner representation worldwide.