DEKRA Certification, Inc. today announced that it has certified the Energy Management System at Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s (SFNTC) manufacturing facility in Oxford, N.C., under the ISO 50001:2011 energy management standard. The facility manufactures all-natural tobacco products that are sold under the Natural American Spirit brand.

The ISO 50001 standard helps businesses reduce energy related operational costs, increase energy efficiency, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, support energy conservation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve use of energy assets, and refine energy procurement practices.

“We’re very pleased that DEKRA could partner with Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company to further their leadership in sustainability by demonstrating their commitment to energy efficiency,” said Donald O. Nicholson, President and Chief Regional Officer of DEKRA North America. “Adding ISO 50001 certification to the list of existing excellent green initiatives that SFNTC already has in place will continue to increase SFNTC’s recognition as a ‘green’ business leader and shows their commitment to sustainability.”

“We’ve focused on the efficient use of sustainable energy for a long time, and we already had many energy management practices in place, but the feedback we’ve received from DEKRA is helping us push forward,” said James Morgan, SFNTC’s Senior Environmental Health and Safety Manager. “Working with DEKRA was a great experience, and their expertise has furthered our efforts to making our Oxford manufacturing plant a world-class environmentally friendly facility.”

Morgan noted that SFNTC achieved a major milestone last year, when the company’s long-standing commitment to sustainability resulted in its Oxford plant becoming a zero-waste-to-landfill facility.

“Operating in a manner that protects the environment is important to us, and it's important to our consumers, who are environmentally conscious about the products they purchase,” said Morgan. “Achieving ISO 50001 certification further demonstrates our strong commitment to environmental sustainability.”

Chris Carson, DEKRA’s Director of Business Development and Marketing, elaborated on the important role that DEKRA played in helping SFNTC further its commitment. “ISO 50001:2011 is still a relatively new standard. As a global leader in energy management and sustainability services, DEKRA is one of the only Certification bodies that can provide environmentally minded and committed companies like SFNTC with the expertise needed to earn this impressive approval,” said Carson. “To be able to have such wonderful results right from the beginning truly speaks to the extent SFNTC embraced the intent of the standard and incorporated it in their company’s culture. We applaud them for this great accomplishment.”

DEKRA Certification was the first Certification Body to achieve ANAB accreditation for the ISO 50001 Energy Management standard, which was introduced in July 2011. Since then, DEKRA Certification has also certified facilities for Volvo (North America), Nissan North America, Subaru of Indiana, General Dynamics, 3M, and Keihin Carolina System Technology to the ISO 50001 Energy Management standard. In addition to industrial facilities, DEKRA has also certified service-based business including Hilton Hotels and JW Marriott to ISO 50001.

About DEKRA Certification, Inc.
DEKRA Certification, Inc. is a U.S. based accredited Certification Body for international management systems. The company is part of the global footprint of DEKRA Certification Group headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. DEKRA is a multi-accredited certification body covering all management system business line activities for North America, with a global service capacity. DEKRA offers services for ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), AS 9100c (aviation, space and defense), TL 9000 (telecommunications), SEP (Superior Energy Performance), and ISO 50001 (energy management) along with auditing services to many other management standards, including customized supplier assessments. DEKRA works with companies to utilize standards for greater productivity, reduced waste, larger profits, an enhanced customer experience and the growth of a continuous improvement culture. DEKRA’s experienced professionals have extensive knowledge of management system standards and a proven track record of success to help achieve the goals of any organization. For more information visit www.dekra-certification.us/en/.

About DEKRA
DEKRA SE is one of the world’s leading expert organizations. The company currently runs activities in more than 50 countries. More than 32,000 employees are committed to ensuring long-term safety, quality and environmental protection. The DEKRA business units “Automotive,” “Industrial” and “Personnel” provide professional and innovative services in the fields of vehicle inspection, expertise, claims services, system certification, product testing & certification, industrial & construction inspection, consulting, qualification and temporary work. In 2013, DEKRA generated sales totaling approximately 2.3 billion Euros.

About Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company manufactures and markets Natural American Spirit 100% additive-free natural tobacco products, including styles made with organic tobacco. The company’s headquarters are in Santa Fe, N.M. Visit www.sfntc.com for more information.