St. Louis, Mo, December 9, 2011 – The Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) recognized Novus International, Inc. this week with a Circle of Excellence award as part of the organization’s Green Business Challenge. The St. Louis Green Business Challenge is a program organized by the St. Louis RCGA to help St. Louis area companies take the first steps toward sustainable business practices.
"It’s an honor for Novus, and our commitment to sustainable actions and culture, to be recognized with this award,” stated Ellen Dierenfeld, Novus’s Executive Manager for Africa and Corporate Sustainability who accepted the award on the company’s behalf. “The RCGA, by highlighting such activities of our many strong local business partners, does an excellent job in promoting the Saint Louis region as one of the top four ‘green’ areas in the nation.”
More than 60 companies and institutions completed the Challenge in 2011; this is up nearly 20 percent from 2010.
“The Novus’ sustainability program demonstrates how companies can meet economic, environmental and social needs successfully,” said Joyce Cacho, Ph.D., Chief Sustainability Officer at Novus. “We’re proud to be among the agribusiness leaders incorporating sustainability into our business model and aligning with our
suppliers and customers to strengthen our local communities.”
RCGA cited a number of Novus’s sustainable achievements in 2011 including:
- A level B-check rating by the Global Reporting Initiative for the company’s sustainability report
- Recognition by the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) as one of the first landscapes to participate in a new program testing the first international rating system for sustainable landscape design
- Campus improvements such as the installation of wind spire and three electric car chargers
Cacho acknowledged that this recognition reflects the leadership of the individuals who make up Novus’s Green Team, a group of employees dedicated to incorporating environmentally sound practices into day-to-day company activities.
Novus’s Mission statement, established 20 years ago, is to “Make a clear difference in sustainably meeting the growing global needs for nutrition and health.” According to Cacho, sustainability has been critical to the company’s overall success, especially in research and product development. In 2009, Novus moved from a Corporate Social Responsibility commitment to a deeper, integrated sustainability approach that is based on the triple-bottom-line principles of social, environmental and economic sustainability. This has positioned the company as an international innovator of sustainable business practices.
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About Novus International, Inc.
Novus International, Inc. is headquartered in metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. and serves customers in more than 90 countries around the world. An industry leader in animal nutrition and health, Novus’s products include ALIMET® and MHA® feed supplements, ACTIVATE® nutritional feed acid, ACIDOMIX® preservative premixture, ADVENT® coccidiosis control, MINTREX® chelated trace minerals, SANTOQUIN® feed preservative, MERA™MET aquaculture feed additive, AGRADO® feed ingredient and many other specialty ingredients. Arenus™ (www.arenus.com) is a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC (a subsidiary of Novus International, Inc.) that focuses on developing health and dietary supplements for the equine and companion animal markets.. Stratum™ Nutrition, a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, focuses on human nutrition through specialty and functional ingredients for manufacturers of foods, beverages and dietary supplements (www.stratumnutrition.com). Novus is privately owned by Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. and Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. For more information visit www.novusint.com.