Based in Lancaster, PA, Somat Company is a member of the Illinois Tool Works Food Equipment Group—ITWFEG. Dating back to the 1940’s with Kurt Wandel’s development of waste pulping systems, Somat Corporation was born in 1962, when Wandel sold his interests to a group of investors. In 1999, the Somat Corporation was acquired by Illinois Tool Works and became the Somat Company. One thing has remained the same since Kurt Wandel’s beginnings—our innovative spirit. It has earned us global recognition and accolades such as the NRA’s Kitchen Innovator Award for our groundbreaking efforts in engineering and producing waste management equipment. That history of innovation is still transforming the industry.
Who do we overcome waste reduction challenges for?
Schools, hospitals, casinos, colleges, cafeterias, cruise ships, government facilities, the military and other high-profile/high-volume operations partners.
We understand that there are no off-the-shelf solutions in waste management. A service staff of Somat engineers uses their expertise and insights to provide customers and consultants with application advice tailored to their unique needs. Somat is extremely responsive to customer requests and need for quotes—we are known for fast turnaround. If you are working on LEED Certification, Somat is ready with application support. It’s why the GSA/Department of the Interior foodservice operation chose a Somat waste reduction system to reduce waste volume and hauling expenses while applying to earn a LEED Gold Certification.
Somat is the recognized leader in pulping and other waste management equipment that is transforming our industry and our world. No other company has the breadth of proven capabilities in foodservice waste management and reduction. Our line of pulping, extracting, shredding and dehydrating equipment and our ability to offer turnkey pre-sale to post-sale support is unparalleled. We engineer and manufacture waste handling systems utilized in wide-ranging applications globally. In fact, Somat units circle the globe on every surface ship in the U.S. Naval Fleet.
Somat has a culture of innovation in sustainability dating to the 1940’s when Kurt Wandel, a German immigrant farmer and inventor, developed a small pulping unit for home gardeners. The pioneering spirit to continuously bring to market smarter concepts and equipment that reduce waste and develop sustainable solutions still burns brightly at Somat today. Somat’s innovative spirit convinced Elizabethtown College to partner with us when its dining facility wanted to turn food waste into electricity—a “first-of-its-kind” project for both the school and Somat.
Somat is continually seeking ways to improve its sustainability with initiatives that directly impact our business and our environment.
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Somat is continually seeking ways to improve its sustainability with initiatives that directly impact our business and our environment. To the left are several of the sustainability initiatives the Somat Company put in place in our own facilities. 2010 was a productive year for our sustainability efforts.
We conducted an overhaul of our building’s aging and antiquated lighting system. Every light in our shop space and all switches in our offices were converted to motion activated equipment. This improvement eliminated energy waste in spaces that rarely or infrequently required lighting, but were sometimes lighted for long periods unnecessarily.
The installation took approximately one business week. All old fixtures, ballasts, bulbs, switches, and wire were recycled locally. Fit, form, and function of the lighting surpassed our expectations. The amount of energy saved was exceptional and the resulting cost-savings were also striking.
A new energy-saving HVAC system was installed in our pre-fab offices on the shop floor. Out-dated, excessive-energy consuming, all-in-one A/C and heat window-units had been in place. These units were controlled by thermostats and ran 24 hours a day. Our new system not only provides more efficient heating and cooling, it also filters air offering employees a cleaner, fresher breathing environment. Installation was completed in one business week.
The entire building has been retrofitted with programmable thermostats to efficiently control heating costs. By programming the curve on which the heat will ride, we reduce the CCFO’s of natural gas being consumed, especially on weekends, when the old thermostats would have run the heat continuously and at inappropriately high temperatures. The new system has met all our expectations and requirements.
Another goal was to expand our in-house recycling effort. This initiative reduced the amount of recyclable waste entering our trash stream, and cut the amount of waste being hauled away. Since 2010, Somat’s recycling initiative made huge strides in helping us become a better steward our environment and to reduce our environmental footprint.
Every office received cardboard recycle totes to recycle paper, plastic, and glass. On an average week we recycle 219lbs of paper, 35lbs of plastic and a minimal amount of glass.
Our production area, where significant metal waste is generated, was also targeted for improved recycling. Bins were placed throughout the shop to accept scrap wire, stainless steel scrap, brass fittings, aluminum cans and more. To date, we have collected over 3,900lbs of scrap, all of which is recycled locally.
Somat helps UNH turn trash into compost as part of a Zero Waste Program
