Earth Day 2015 Message from Radon Industry Leader

Ward Hill, MA, April 22, 2015 (Newswire.com) - This year marks the 45th Earth Day since its beginning in 1970, when it was observed by 20 million Americans. Throughout nearly half a century, Earth Day activists have been responsible for such accomplishments as establishing the Environmental Protection Agency and enacting both the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Over one billion people will participate in this historic day across 192 countries this year. Under the theme, “It’s Our Turn to Lead,” this year aims to link economic growth and prosperity with sustainability.

Spruce Environmental Technologies Inc. was founded in 1989, with the central mission of reducing indoor air pollution. To accomplish that mission, Spruce manufactures inline fans for bathroom, kitchen, garage and other specific and general ventilation applications. Under the RadonAway® brand, Spruce introduced the industry’s first radon-specific inline fan. The company now manufactures and distributes a full line of radon fans and accessories that are considered to be among the highest quality products on the national and international markets.  For National Radon Action Month in January of this year, Spruce launched a site to educate homeowners about the dangers of radon, www.radonisreal.org, furthering the company’s commitment to positive environmental changes.

"Our mission as a company has always been 'Occupant Sustainability.' Radon in the home is by far the biggest environmental threat to occupants."

David Kapturowski, Executive Vice President of Spruce

When Alan Zucchino, David Kapturowski, and Howard Zidel founded Spruce over 25 years ago, their values and goals were much the same as they are today. “We have always been environmentally-conscious at Spruce,” says Spruce President, Alan Zucchino. “Throughout our company history, having grown from two employees to over 100 across five different locations, our primary objective has always been to envision and produce technologies that improve the home environment by reducing indoor air pollution. As we continue to grow, our mission and efforts to carry it out are as strong as ever.” As the company becomes more successful, its executives are committed to discovering new ways to adapt their technologies and policies to remain sustainable.

Being an industry leader is not just about producing top quality products, but also setting the standards of how those products can be manufactured with environmental impact in mind. “Our mission as a company has always been ‘Occupant Sustainability.’ Radon in the home is by far the biggest environmental threat to occupants,” says Executive Vice President, David Kapturowski. “We offer a wide variety of fans; including several with U.S. EPA Energy Star rating and electrical power usage as low as 15 watts.  This is a dramatic improvement from the fans used 25 years ago which consumed about 90 watts.  Power consumption is very important in an application which runs 24/7.” Spruce is also committed to recycling the parts of returned fans, showing a total dedication to manufacturing an end product with the minimum possible environmental impact.

As times change, Spruce is committed to changing too. In 2011, Spruce installed solar panels at their corporate headquarters building in Ward Hill, MA, which now generate over one-third of the electricity used there.  “We are an environmental company, and a major part of that is paying careful attention to creating a sustainable workplace and catalog of products,” says Chief Financial Officer, Howard Zidel. The company’s significant recycling initiatives have always been a point of pride for its founders and employees. Along with an effort to reduce paper waste through increased electronic communication and email ordering, they have also adopted reusable totes for transporting their fan housings, eliminating a massive amount of cardboard waste. “Everything we do at Spruce,” continues Howard, “from the ways in which we run our locations and manufacture our fans to how we have changed our communication methods with our customers, speaks to our dedication to environmental sustainability.”

Just as Earth Day has grown from a national into a global cause, Spruce reached an important milestone last month in launching European fans. With the first shipment of RadonAway® fans off to the company’s UK and Ireland Distributor, this is only the beginning of increased global awareness and healthier international indoor air. Radon is responsible for up to 15% of international lung cancer fatalities, and is truly a global concern. Arming international radon professionals with the best products and homeowners with the facts about radon and the resources they need to connect with professionals and treat their homes, Spruce and their global partners will continue to work toward a world with zero radon fatalities. It’s our turn to lead.