SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
Sustainability: A Holistic Approach By Paul “Max” Le Pera Addressing these issues for our
Sustainability is a term most of us hear every day with increasing frequency,
members is woven into the very mission
typically referred to in light of the effect we
of ISFA. ISFA exists to help fabricators
have on the the environment. This includes
and other industry professionals increase
renewable energy, water stewardship
product quality, improve safety measures,
and the preservation or conservation of
encourage professionalism and elevate
natural resources. But sustainability is a
profitability by facilitating education,
term that has tendrils in most every area of
standards and camaraderie. ISFA values
our personal and professional lives. These
innovation, dependability, trust, honesty,
areas include — but are not limited to — finance, operations, culture, relationships, security and leadership. A central pillar of my role as the champion of sustainability for the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) and the efficacy of our team, will be to elucidate how sustainability encompasses a “paradigm of operating” or the mindset we have when it comes to a way of being. Why this is so important speaks to one of the most basic definitions I have come across, which is: the capacity to endure in a relatively ongoing way across various domains of life. The elegance of such a definition, however, is much like an iceberg. A beautifully simplistic premise (what you see above the water) becomes a behemoth when trying to execute its total value (everything below the water). This is classically exemplified by solutions that
ethics and serving others above all else. In 2022 and beyond, ISFA is committed to forming a sustainability committee. The
• Recycling despite lack of municipal or state mandates to do so. • Preventing pollution and ground contamination. • Conserving and recycling water and
charge will be to systematically address the
investing in renewable energies.
various pillars of sustainability mentioned
• Demonstrating financial
above. Indeed, there will be strong focus
stewardship to ensure funding for
on the four R’s: reduce, recycle, reuse and
sustainably responsible projects.
reform. Manufacturers, distributors and
• Managing our people and culture to
fabricators alike can help establish new product iterations, workflow alternatives, best practices and leadership when it comes to environmental stewardship and accountability. In other areas, such as business sustainability, ISFA will encourage a holistic approach where customer service, finance, marketing, manufacturing and logistics are considered. Deeply embedded in this holistic sustainable business model is governance. ISFA’s mission will be to address some of these emerging areas:
change situations, but at what cost and for how long? Questions of capacity for change, competencies, core values, integration, stated goals and personal
• Embracing new products and formulations aimed at mitigating health risks. • Establishing standards which elevate
beliefs are among some of the more critical
transparency and disclosure.
inputs that need to be considered when
• Encouraging products with recycled,
embracing a sustainable way of being.
repurposed or reformed raw materials.
22 • Vol. 15 / Issue 1 • International Surface Fabricators Association
embrace the sustainability mindset. Ultimately, the more a corporate culture centers around sustainable business practices, the more harmony and synergy are produced. All companies want to improve and seek efficiencies; however, herein lies one of the biggest traps in a truly integrated business model. Efficiencies can be sustainable but not necessarily so since they are typically viewed as financial optimizers. Two imminent threats that challenge sustainability proliferation are ignorance and the unidimensional pursuit of profit. The former presents ISFA’s responsibility to education and awareness; the latter, frankly, has already proved to be unsustainable. Lawsuits, turnover, deaths, sickness, superfunds, bankruptcies — the list is endless. The bull’s-eye to our holistic approach
