Preliminary Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2021 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS FROMLETTERPRESIDENT03 OVERVIEWCOMPANY04 ABOUT REPORTTHIS10 05 Meet the Leadership Team 07 History 07 SEC Divisions 08 Team 09 Mission and Vision 09 Core Values 11 Overview of Company Initiatives SAFETY12 13 Worker Safety 14 Cyber Security Training 15 Safety Goals ENGAGEMENTCOMMUNITY26 27 Contribution 27 Youth Interaction 28 Reputation 29 Community Engagement Goals WELL-BEINGEMPLOYEE16 17 Diversity & Inclusion 18 Ethical Standards 18 Training & Education Opportunities 18 Health & Wellness 19 Longevity 19 Employee Well-being Goals CLOSING30 31 Appendix 32 Mourning the Loss of SEC President John Harsch SUSTAINABILITYENVIRONMENTAL20 21 Recognizing Sustainability with EcoPractices ® 24 Story of SOXX™ 24 Resource Use 25 Environmental Sustainability Goals Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
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Oursystem.erosion control division works to provide sustainable best management practices to maintain project compliance as a certified Filtrexx ® manufacturer. This report will highlight the progress we have made, and will continue to make, regarding: Safety Employee Well-being Sustainability encourage you to read through the report and discover how our company is continuing to lead in serving our clients by providing innovative solutions to better the planet that align with our core values of integrity, innovation, transparency and expertise.
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT
> Environmental
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Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) began in 2008 with the mission to connect organizations and individuals to be leaders in protecting the environment. Through innovative sustainability solutions, we strive to transform our customers’ success, our communities and the planet. Our three divisions work to help move the needle in meeting sustainability goals, ultimately managing risk to their brand. The three divisions include sustainability risk management, agricultural engineering and compliance, and erosion control. SEC works with agriculture and food companies to reduce their scope 3 emissions and report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Our sustainability risk management division provides measurable solutions to help clients achieve their sustainability goals through field-level sustainability analysis and reporting on KPIs such as soil health, water, etc., leading to continuous improvement of their operation. Our team works on in-field and on-farm goals through our unique verification and quantification platform to support claims and track progress. We feel agriculture is a solution to climate change when regenerative agriculture practices are in place and producers and growers have the transparency to prove it from a third-party. Within the agricultural engineering and compliance division, clients are guided in compliance strategies for a sustainable infrastructure. We help producers and growers identify, collect, verify and document data, and then provide them with comprehensive reports and professional recommendations to help their journey to sustainability success. Together we are recognizing responsibility at the very source of our food
Dr. Sara Crawford President
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OVERVIEWCOMPANY The following pages highlight how we incorporate environmental sustainability into our project services and business operations using innovative processes, initiatives and technology. Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
Anne Dinges Director of agronomics Anne Dinges joined the SEC team in 2019 as an agronomist and soil scientist. Prior to her current role, Anne also worked as SEC’s lead agronomist. As the director of agronomics, Anne works closely with our EcoPractices platform, collecting and enrolling data, as well as producing data-driven reports for a variety of audiences, highlighting the scientific side of soil health and sustainable on farm practices. Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and global resource systems from Iowa State University.
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MEET THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Sara Crawford, Ph.D. Dr. Sara Crawford joined SEC as president in May 2022. Her experience and connections throughout the supply chain bring a unique perspective and understanding of core points throughout the supply network. With an extensive background in agriculture, animal and meat sciences, and sustainability, and a client first focus, her insight and executive leadership drives innovation for regenerative agriculture practices and food supply related industries throughout all facets of the company. Dr. Crawford has a doctorate degree in animal welfare science, her master’s degree in meat science and genetics and an undergraduate degree in animal sciences, all from the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Doug McCorkle, Ph.D. As the chief science officer for SEC, Doug McCorkle is responsible for creating and championing the strategic technological vision. This vision drives technology initiatives, balancing short-term and long-term company goals, and develops key solutions utilizing the EcoPractices® platform. He collaborates with the sales and customer support teams to prioritize new product development opportunities and current product enhancements, as well as oversees the evolution of the existing software system applications and architecture. Doug received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He achieved his master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University.
Gabe McNunn, Ph.D. Gabe McNunn is the director of environmental modeling and data science engineering for SEC. In his role, Gabe focuses on developing modeling tools and integrating them into the EcoPractices platform. In collaboration with the SEC team, he also fields client questions and provides insight and recommendations related to environmental analysis methods. Gabe received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University. He received his doctorate in environmental science from Iowa State University in 2018. Jennifer Jensen Since joining the SEC team in 2016, Jennifer Jensen has held several integral roles. She worked initially as the EcoPractices manager, moving into the role of manager of sustainable practices and environmental analytics in 2018, and then transitioning into the director role in 2020. As a director, Jennifer focuses on SEC’s sustainability risk management platform, EcoPractices, where she manages and coordinates client projects as well as oversees daily operations, including the collection, storage and analysis of data to generate environmental impact values. Jennifer holds bachelor’s degrees in environmental science, agronomy and biology from Iowa State University.
Creating designs that work with client operation strategies to achieve goals is something Brian is very passionate about. He specializes in bioreactors, saturated buffers and other edge of field practices. Brian also works with our sustainability risk management team on the development and implementation of sustainable continuous improvement plans (SCIP), energy audits, life cycle assessments and more. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in biological and agricultural engineering and a secondary major in natural resources and environmental sciences from Kansas State University. He has been professionally licensed as an engineer in the state of Kansas since 2011.
Kristine Rebiero Kristine Rebiero joined the SEC team in November 2021 as the sustainable agriculture communications lead. In this role, Kristine drives SEC’s communication and public relations efforts. She works closely with the EcoPractices team to transmit scientific information into creative content, including educational materials and environmental data outcome stories. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business and a minor in mass communication and journalism from California State University, Fresno. She went on to receive her Master of Science degree in environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, Kristine has obtained a marketing strategy certificate from Cornell University’s MBA-level marketing program.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
MEET THE LEADERSHIP TEAM continued
Brian Severin As the director of agricultural engineering for SEC, Brian Severin works closely with our agricultural compliance and engineering team, guiding strategy and opportunity development.
HISTORY DIVISIONS
As a company, SEC has transitioned and evolved over the years while continuing to maintain our core commitment to the sustainability and preservation of earth’s natural resources. In 2009, we added erosion control to our service offerings and became a certified Filtrexx ® manufacturer, allowing us to reach not only the agriculture industry, but the construction market as well in sediment control and pollutant removal.
Integrating sustainability into core business decision-making systems is crucial for agriculture and food companies. Through our sustainability risk management division, we can provide a full range of environmental services needed by food companies and their agriculture supply systems, as well as other industries concerned about their sustainability risk. Powered by our EcoPractices ® platform and backed by a highly specialized team of agricultural engineers, scientists and conservation planners, we can help companies protect their reputation and the financial health of their business on their journey to sustainability success.
The desire to work in partnership with the agricultural community to produce sustainable solutions while being environmentally conscience is fulfilled through our agricultural engineering and compliance division. Walking through regulatory compliance strategies and designing best management practices demonstrates our commitment to providing high quality solutions. Our goal is to help producers along their journey to sustainability success.
Sustainability risk management was officially added to the SEC portfolio in 2018 after seeing the need to help companies fund environmental efforts and progress toward preserving our SECecosystems.joinedthe Wright Service Corp. (WSC) employee-owned family of companies in 2012. WSC provides the support and resources needed to actively achieve our goals and continue building a company that has a positive impact on the industry and environment.
Agricultural Engineering and Compliance
Erosion Control Erosion issues can be an environmental issue and a threat to project compliance. Through our erosion control division, we are committed to assisting the construction and agriculture industries, plus utilities and municipalities, in delivering highperformance erosion control and stormwater compliance products and solutions, using Filtrexx ® Sustainable Technologies.
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As a certified Filtrexx ® manufacturer in Kansas, Iowa and Texas, we can manufacture and distribute the entire line of Filtrexx ® products to help producers achieve carbon footprint reduction, leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) certification and more.
SEC
Sustainability Risk Management
Nutrient management plans, surveying, mapping and seepage testing were added to enhance what we could offer in order to provide comprehensive agricultural consulting to our clients.
Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) was established in 2008. We found our niche as an agriculture consulting business, focusing on assisting livestock operations with regulatory permitting, applications and renewals. As local, state and federal environmental regulations evolved, so did our service offerings.
8 Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement TEAM Our team of PhDs, agronomists, environmental scientists, animal scientists and agricultural engineers are committed to collectively working with producers and industry leaders to improve their environmental footprint.
Mission Recognize the responsibility of organizations and individuals to be leaders in protecting our environment. We desire to provide transformative sustainability solutions that minimize risk for our customers, our communities and our planet. Sustainable Environmental Consultants is a leader in providing innovative solutions to better the planet. It is our concern.highest take pride in our independent authentication process of reliable traceability. We recognize we will move the needle on sustainability only through partnership and cooperation by many. We exhibit it toward our team, our customers, and the environment. value action over definition when it comes to sustainability because it’s our passion. deliver best-inclass solutions to our customers. FAMILY It is our foundation; it is who we are. abide by the highest ethical standards.
COLLABORATION
ANDMISSIONVISION VALUESCORE
RESPECT
Vision
TRANSPARENCY We
SAFETY
SUSTAINABILITY We
INNOVATION We
9 Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
INTEGRITY We
ABOUT REPORTTHIS Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) Sustainability Report / Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Mission Statement Recognize the responsibility of organizations and individuals to be leaders in protecting our environment. We desire to provide transformative sustainability solutions that minimize risk for our customers, our communities and our planet. KPI Overview SEC’s core KPIs will be used to track the progress in key target areas. These will help shape goals to drive continuous improvement. Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
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Safety Safety is our number one value. Our employees are trained on a consistent basis to ensure best safe practices are in place and mitigate any potential risks or hazards. Internal protocols are routinely reviewed and updated by our risk and safety departments. Our employees follow the Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper motto, striving to achieve zero Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable incidents.
Environmental Sustainability As a company in the environmental services industry, we strive to protect and preserve all ecosystems. We continue to reduce our footprint and promote carbon positive practices at our office and in the communities we serve. Community Engagement SEC supports activities that benefit our employees and add value to the communities where we live and work. Through monetary and in-kind donations such as labor or education, we’re able to support various causes and organizations that align with our values. We take pride in building and developing relationships with our employees, clients and communities.
OVERVIEW OF COMPANY INITIATIVES 2021 Highlights team growth crop GROWNPROJECTSstatesspeciesandprovincesONTO OVER 4524%42
Employee Well-being Our employees create a rich work environment. Our family culture is what makes SEC unique and attractive to the next generation of the workforce. This includes a safe, enjoyable, diverse environment that offers opportunity for professional growth within the company. As competition for talent grows, SEC is committed to offering an attractive workplace to retain and foster talent.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
SAFETY Safety is our number one value. Our employees are trained on a consistent basis to ensure best safe practices are in place and reduce any potential risks or hazards. Internal processes are routinely reviewed and updated by our risk and safety departments to reflect the latest trainings and protocols, ensuring our employees can get home safely each and every night. Our employees follow the Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper motto, striving to achieve zero OSHA recordable incidents.
All WSC companies track and report accidents. At-fault accidents are tracked with goals established for reduction. These accidents are used in training materials to identify preventative actions to continue to enforce. A days away, restricted, or transferred (DART) rate represents OSHA injuries or illness that results in days away from work, restricted duty, or transfer of duties. This is because only the more severe OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses are included in the DART rate. For those officing out of the WSC North American Headquarters location, disaster protocols are in place as well as evacuation plans that are posted throughout the WSC corporate office. These plans include a map of each area of the office with information on the location of AEDs, first aid kits, extinguishers, tornado shelters and assembly area. or 0.000.000.00
WORKER0.00SAFETYANNUALINCIDENTRATE SEC AnnualFY2021Rates: Annual Incident Rate Days Away Restricted
Transferred Claims per Employee
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A security awareness program was launched in May of 2020. Employees undergo training to spot ‘phishing’ scams and other malicious emails or attacks. These fraudulent requests are sophisticated and can use known company contacts to lure others into sending funds to illegitimate recipients or compromise confidential data and information. On a monthly basis, employees will be tested internally and if the employee fails, they are required to go through additional training and in some cases meet with human resources
WSC’s information technology (IT) department is dedicated to cybersecurity and business continuity. In 2019, an information security team was created to improve our security posture and execute yearly strategic security roadmaps, updated annually; by doing so this maintains and strengthens our company’s ability to protect company and client data. The team conducts an annual comprehensive security assessment in tandem with monthly vulnerability scans and remediates identified issues. Our SIEM platform, AlienVault monitored 24/7/365 by ProCircular, is utilized to help improve our detection and prevention of attacks on our company’s equipment year-round.
CYBER SECURITY TRAINING
14 Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement SEC 2021 Stats Cyber training completion monthly compared to a 73% industry average Hours executed on security topic training over the course of the year Hours of required annual cyber security training *Hours based on 22 employees 92%438**
(HR) and IT for performance improvement. As scams are ever-changing, training and tips are provided to arm our employees with the knowledge to be digital Brother’s and Sister’s Keepers and ensure we protect our family of companies and their employees. In 2022, WSC will continue to implement tools and training for increased company preparedness and due diligence against increasing cyber security risk.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement SAFETY GOALS Safety: Continue with zero safety incidents. Cyber Security: In 2022, SEC will undergo proactive security measures with a 3rd party audit. Cyber Security Training: Ensure company participation and improvement by 5% of additional security awareness training.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
Our employees create a rich work environment. Our family culture is what makes Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) unique and attractive to the next generation of the workforce. This includes a safe, enjoyable, diverse environment that offers opportunities for professional growth within the company. As competition for talent grows, SEC is committed to offering an attractive workplace to retain and foster talent.
WELL-BEINGEMPLOYEE
As
corporate
In
accounting, finance, fleet, human resources, legal, marketing and payroll. Together with our team, we work in partnership to provide exceptional service to our clients. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Gender Gender - SEC New Hire Gender - SECEmployment Type FY2021 SEC Demographics NewSECSECSECHires 5% 57% 92%95% 8%5% 14% 14% 5% 5% Generational Distribution Ethnicity 20 & under 31-40 51-6021-30 41-50 61-64 White (United States of America) White (United States of America) Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino NewSECHires 16% 54% 15% 15% 96% Full-time 4% Part-time 47% Female 38% Female 52% Male 62% Male
2021 was a year of improvement in SEC employee management through upgrades to workplace processes and improved digital infrastructure. This included the migration to Workday, a human capital management system launched in August 2021. This new platform will help recruit, hire and onboard new talent. addition, Workday’s intuitive portal will enable employees to easily access their personal information via mobile device or computer. Launching this new HR platform will automate manual processes. This will allow for complete and increased reporting capabilities on workforce demographics in 2022. a member of the WSC family of companies, SEC is supported by a shared services team at the campus that includes
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LEAD Program
1,296 336 TRAINING COMPLETEDHOURSIN2020 TRAINING COMPLETEDHOURSIN2021
Frombenefits.2020 to 2021, we had an increase from 40% to 57% of those plans being employee only, while decreasing from 60% to 43% of family plans.
The latest class began their journey in June 2020, graduating in November of 2021. This group of participants completed a total of 1,296 training hours in 2020, with another 336 in 2021. Three SEC team members have participated in LEAD.
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OPPORTUNITIESEDUCATIONTRAININGSTANDARDSETHICAL&
Benefits SEC, as a WSC company, provides both full-time and parttime positions with a benefits package that far exceeds the industry standard. Employees receive comprehensive benefits such as health insurance, wellness incentive programs, life insurance, disability, vacation and sick time, bereavement, identity theft protection, traditional pre-tax Roth 401(k) retirement plan options, and employees are part of profit sharing through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
The LEAD Program is a two-year, WSC sponsored leadership, training and development program. Following a nomination process, individuals who have shown they are dedicated to their career and growth within our family of companies are selected. We utilize this program to give selected employees a comprehensive perspective of our family of companies, a platform for cross-company networking and the tools to enhance their leadership potential. Health Insurance SEC, as a WSC company, offers medical with prescription coverage, dental and vision insurance to all eligible non-union employees. Plans are offered either as individual or family. Family plans are not limited to number of dependents. WSC pays a portion of these insurance fees to provide competitive premium rates for employee’s insurance packages. Tobacco free lifestyles save money ($312 annually or $26 monthly) on insurance plans and cessation programs are in place to seek help with quitting. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a professional and confidential, short-term counseling service available to the employee and their immediate family. This benefit is a company paid benefit and is offered to the employee at no cost. Immediate telephone access to a counselor is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Resources include up to three sessions for in-person appointments per separate issue per year, legal services, financial consultation, and eldercare resources. Those in need can visit a doctor on their smartphone, tablet or computer from virtually anywhere at no cost. Doctor on Demand offers no cost, virtual doctor visits with board-certified doctors who can treat most common medical conditions and prescribe medication.
SEC’s employee handbook outlines several employment policies, procedures and practices. This contains equal opportunity employment policies, a code of conduct policy, business ethics statement, a harassment policy and a protection against retaliation policy. Management and human resources staff have an open-door policy as well to report incidents and provide suggestions to improve the workplace.
HEALTH WELLNESS&
In 2021, SEC saw a 40% increase from 2020 in the number of those enrolled in the health insurance
LONGEVITY
SEC, as a WSC company, offers a comprehensive 401(k) retirement savings plan. Employees at least 18 years of age are eligible when they have completed one year of service with at least 1,000 hours. Plan entry dates are April 1st or October 1st, following eligibility. WSC has a Safe Harbor Match Program to the 401(k) offering, matching 100% of the first 3%, plus an additional 50% of the next 2% employees would contribute to their retirement savings. The matching funds are placed in the ESOP account. Meaning, employees should contribute at least 5% annually to receive the full company match. These company-matched contributions are 100% vested. The Automatic Enrollment Program is an automatic 3% pre-tax 401(k) enrollment process for all eligible employees which increases contributions from salary pay by 1% each year until 10% is reached with an opt-out available. This was enacted to ensure employees were taking steps for their financial security in the future.
SEC has been a proud employee-owned company since 2013. A shared ownership with WSC’s ESOP helps promote a positive, unique organizational culture and supports company success. The ESOP is also designed to assist our employees with their retirement and provide them with a financial stake in the company. For our customers and partners, we are empowered to provide exceptional service and innovative solutions. At all levels of the company, you’ll be working with an employee owner – individuals who are invested in the success of the company and the quality of service we deliver. The ESOP enables employees to directly affect profitability and value and see the results. Employees have pride in the company and a vested interest in making sure the value of their account grows. The ESOP has also allowed the company to protect jobs and support the communities we work in. Employees are eligible who are at least 18 years of age and have worked for the company for one year totaling at least 1,000 hours. Employees are automatically enrolled in the ESOP after meeting the qualifications on April 1 or October 1, following their 1-year anniversary date with the company. This is an employer-funded plan that is at no cost to the employees. 9% 1-3% 9%
RetirementParticipantsActiveESOPStats
Vested - All
Diversity & Inclusion: Increase reporting capabilities on workforce demographics in 2022 with Workday. Employee Well-being: Conduct a survey for total reward offerings and preferences to employees. Education & Development: Continue to pursue continuous education learning opportunities. Education & Training: Continue to work with the training and development team to provide professional skills growth opportunities for team members.
Those contributing 1-3% receive 100% company match, those contributing 4-5% receive an additional 50% match. 82% of those contributing are receiving the full match potential. Numbers can change daily.
Contributions401K
WELL-BEINGEMPLOYEE
ESOP
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FY2021 comparison of number of eligible employees; percentage vested and number of employees. vested20% 33% vested40% 22% vested60% 22% vested80% 11% vested100% 11% 4-5% 55% 6-10% 27% 11%+
GOALS
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
we
to
SUSTAINABILITYENVIRONMENTAL
climate-
As a company in the environmental services industry, strive to protect and preserve ecosystems. continue reduce and promote smart practices at office and in the communities we serve.
our
our footprint
We
all
21 Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement RECOGNIZING SUSTAINABILITY WITH ECOPRACTICES® Sustainability Risk Management Our EcoPractices platform helps the food, beverage and ingredient industries benchmark and track internal sustainability goals and external metrics including industry standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We deliver field-level quantification and practice verification services for a complete spectrum of environmental impacts including soil health, water quality, carbon sequestration, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The data provided adds valuable metrics to our client’s sustainability story. It is used to direct future environmental initiatives, increase marketability and enhance consumer communications. Crop species Field operations cataloged Acres participating in conservation practices (buffers, waterways, wetlands, forest) OVEROVERStates/provinces 428,00093,00045
continued 5 Years of EcoPractices® Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) celebrated the five year anniversary of EcoPractices ®, an independent, third-party verification and validation platform that blends science with state-of-the-art technology to assess supply chain sustainability risk and quantify key sustainability performance indicators. EcoPractices provides food organizations, their agricultural supply systems and investment management corporations with data-driven solutions to reach their sustainability and regenerative goals.
- Over 50 years of combined United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) / Conservation team experience - 2 Licensed Professional Engineers - NRCS Certified Technical Service Provider
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The SEC agricultural engineering and compliance team provides full scope conservation assistance, environmental compliance and watershed services. The team provides survey, planning and conservation engineering technical assistance to farmers and ranchers in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. This work includes over 10 edge-of-field practice designs to reduce surface water nitrate-nitrogen content.
Agricultural Engineering & Compliance
RECOGNIZING SUSTAINABILITY WITH ECOPRACTICES®
SEC provides engineering and environmental compliance assistance to over 50 livestock facilities in Kansas and Nebraska and provides engineering, inspection and compliance assistance to 4 watershed districts and over 50 dams in Kansas. The SEC team provides full scope conservation assistance, environmental compliance and watershed services.
EcoPractices is a one-stop shop for independent verification of environmental interventions providing effective, quantifiable actions tailored specifically to an organization’s needs, no matter the industry or business size. Unlike other cookie-cutter platforms that pull in data and spit out numerical results, EcoPractices’ flexible framework grows with each company and can integrate with industry tools like Cool Farm Tool and Nori. The EcoPractices process is scope 3 emission reporting ready per the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and is voluntary carbon market ready. The EcoPractices safe and secure database, EcoProducer™, houses over 150 unique customizable data points through an electronic audit at the operation, field and farm level for aggregation across a variety of agriculture projects including row crop, specialty crop, dairy, poultry and more.
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In 2016, SEC began looking to expand their agricultural compliance and engineering division portfolio with denitrifying bioreactor design services. Used to treat subsurface drainage water from agricultural fields, bioreactors are an edge-of-field practice that help to reduce nitrate loading to nearby streams. They are essentially underground wood chip “filters” designed to route subsurface drainage water through a buried trench. Natural bacteria in the bioreactor use the carbon from the wood chips as their food source and convert nitrates in the water to nitrogen gas during the respiration process, also known as denitrification. The nitrogen gas is then freely released into the atmosphere while the water is discharged with a reduced nitrate concentration.
Agricultural Engineering & Compliance Project Spotlight
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The SEC team is efficient in their resource use. A hybrid work culture allows for employees to utilize home offices or report to the WSC North American headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa. The SEC team has five owned vehicles in our fleet.
STORY OF SOXX™ often used in areas where diverting, cleaning and filtering stormwater runoff is critical. SiltSoxx™ is designed to prevent erosion, and each one installed at a job site gives trees a second life, keeps our water clean and protects the environment. tons of CO2e avoided cars off the road for a year homes’ average yearly energy use cubic yards of wood chips diverted from a landfill50611,9132,606 255 which is the same as which is the same as Impact
SiltSoxx
The environmental impacts of sedimentation and stormwater runoff can lead to polluted runoff into local streams, lakes and wetlands compromising water quality and causing flooding, erosion and habitat destruction. At SEC, we know how important it is for perimeter control to stop sediment from leaving job sites as well as to be in compliance with local, state and federal regulations. ™
RESOURCE USE
Annual
When a tree service trims a tree, the trimmings can go one of three routes: - Mulch - Compost - Landfill At SEC, we take the mulched wood chips and fill them into sediment control Filtrexx® SiltSoxx™. Filtrexx® SiltSoxx™ is a three-dimensional tubular device made of FilterMedia™ encased in Filtrexx® Mesh™. It is specifically designed to support stormwater management, sediment control and pollutant removal for sustainable best management practices. It is most
Resource Use: Begin a inventory (following the Protocol and Corporate will serve as the base year.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
SUSTAINABILITYENVIRONMENTALGOALS
Environmental: Increase territory reach in the U.S. by two states to measure, monitor and improve regenerative agriculture practices with our clients and their farmer partners. Environmental: Increase the design of bioreactors and saturated buffers by 20% in the Midwest to improve water quality.
GHG
GHG
Standard). 2022
ENGAGEMENTCOMMUNITY
Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) has a presence in the West Des Moines community through the WSC corporate office, however our team is scattered in home offices across the Midwest. We work in over 42 states and provinces and strive to create a positive impact on these local communities. SEC supports activities that benefit our employees and add value to the communities where we live and work. Through monetary and in-kind donations such as labor or education, we’re able to support various causes and organizations that align with our values. We take pride in building and developing relationships with our employees, clients and communities.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
CONTRIBUTION YOUTH INTERACTION
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Blazin’ the Ring Spring Classic SEC has supported the 4-H Foundation nationally and locally. In 2021, SEC contributed to the Appanoose Trailblazers 4-H Club Blazin’ the Ring Spring Classic which is a livestock show for cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.
National 4-H Council ProgramFOURWARD
SEC recognizes the important role of engagement in our local communities. SEC encourages employees to lend their voluntary support by offering eight hours of paid volunteer time per calendar year, per employee. As with many others, COVID-19 impacted the ability to be involved in various efforts.
In celebration of the United Nations International Youth Day, SEC donated to the National 4-H Council’s FOURWARD Program. The program provides educational resources, social, emotional support and a sense of belonging to the six million 4-H’ers across the country.
SEC Sponsorship
Iowa Gardening for Good Volunteer Outing
The SEC team spent an afternoon volunteering at Iowa Gardening for Good in September. Iowa Gardening for Good is located in Madrid, Iowa, and is dedicated to involving the community in growing produce for a good cause. The team harvested and packaged 50 boxes worth of peppers for donation to area food pantries.
SEC promotes and values youth involvement in agriculture. In 2020, SEC established the 4-H and National FFA Organization Sponsorship. Both 4-H and FFA are youth organizations that engage, teach, promote and equip individuals for a future in the agriculture industry. The $250 sponsorship was gifted to individuals who are actively involved in their local 4-H club and/or FFA chapter, demonstrate a passion for agriculture and exhibit a desire to grow in personal and professional development. The 2020 recipients were Ethan Kneisler and Allie Kneisler of Lyndon, KS.
In the Environmental Consultants Celebrates Five Years Helping Organizations Quantify Their Sustainability Impact With its State-of-the-Art Technology, EcoPractices® Nov. 17, 2020 Food And Beverage Retailers Can Ease Their Consumers’ Sustainability Concerns Nov. 25, 2020 North America Expands the Most Agriculture 21,
Danone
2020 Upholding Sustainability Efforts Dec. 22, 2020 Danone North America Reaches Milestone In Soil Health Research Program Jan. 6, 2021 Farming 4.0 Is Here Feb. 1, 2021 General Mills, Danone pilots provide proof for regenerative agriculture success Feb. 23, 2021 Food and Beverage Retailers Need Hard Data from Brands to Support Sustainability Feb. 24, 2021 REPUTATION FY2021 Social Media Total Audience SEC uses LinkedIn to share updates about our company to employees, clients and the community. Published EngagementsImpressionsPosts 14759,7485,088634
SEC was awarded the ‘Innovation Award’ by Danone North America at their sixth annual Dairy Forum in February in San Diego, California. The Dairy Forum recognizes the exceptional work of select partners who focus on farming resilience in today’s world and for future generations.
28 Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement Employee Professional Associations & Company Memberships > Tri-Societies•SoilScience Society of America • Crop Science Society of America • Agronomy Society of America > Iowa Farm Bureau Federation > Iowa Sustainable Business Forum > Iowa Young Professionals in Agriculture > National Agri-Marketing Association > Founding member of the Iowa chapter of the US Compost Council > International Fresh Produce Association, formally Produce Marketing Association (PMA) > Field to Market > Cool Farm Alliance > Licensed Professional Engineer – Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota Industry Conference Presence > Sustainable Agriculture Summit > Sustainable Agronomy Conference > The Almond Conference > National Biochar > Commodity Classic > Ag & Food Policy Summit > World Pork Expo > US Farmers & Ranchers in Action, Honor the Harvest Forum > State Association of Kansas Watersheds Annual Meeting > Kansas Governor’s Water Conference > Kansas Department of Agriculture, Dam Safety Conference Awards
News Sustainable
How
Comprehensive Regenerative
Program in the Dairy Industry Dec.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement 30+ Companies, Boards, NGOs Join Farmers, Ranchers to Endorse a Shared Vision for Sustainable Food Systems Mar. 23, 2021 Seeing is Believing: Regenerative Agriculture Scores a Boost from Danone North America Mar. 29, 2021 Third-Party Verifier Quantifies Dairy Sustainability Apr. 2, 2021 Gerber Commits to Carbon Neutrality for Organic Products in 2022 as Part of Climate Forward Nutrition Ambition July 15, 2021 Soil and Water Outcomes Fund Produces More Than Tenfold Increase in Environmental Outcomes in 2021 Dec. 9, 2021 GOALSENGAGEMENTCOMMUNITY Contribution: Increase opportunities for employees to partake in volunteer events as a company and encourage volunteer opportunities outside of work hours. Contribution: Increase monetary contributions to local community development programs. Contribution: Improve and scale the SEC sponsorship opportunity.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
CLOSING
The Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) team strives to live out our values and will continue to improve our sustainable practices to ensure a safe and bright future for our employee owners. We are committed to a better world for all by investing in the communities we serve through innovation, integrity and teamwork. We want to ensure that the decisions we make today have a positive impact on our employees, clients, community and the environment.
An evaluation by EcoPractices ®, a sustainability risk management tool from SEC, a WSC subsidiary, in partnership with WSC. This report is intended to showcase the sustainability journey of WSC, dedicated to recognizing their responsibility toward their mission, vision and values for their employee owners, partners, clients and the public.
Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
APPENDIX
32 Safety Employee Well-being Environmental Sustainability Community Engagement
Packard stated, “Our deepest condolences extend to the Harsch family and all who had the privilege to work with John as he truly believed and I quote, ‘Sustainable practices and regenerative agriculture are the future’.”
John was a founding board member and director of the Wright Foundation for Sustainability and Innovation that fosters innovative sustainability initiatives that make a positive impact on our planet.
John had over 25 years of experience in environmental practices, natural resources and conservation. He was instrumental in SEC’s growth since starting the company in 2008 with three other investors, where its first line of business was agricultural engineering. He helped move the company into erosion control, supporting agriculture through engineering and compliance services, and created the EcoPractices ® platform to support food and agriculture companies with sustainability risk management. He also played an integral role in putting together the agreement to join Wright Service Corp. and become part of an employeeowned family of companies in 2012.
Chairman and CEO Scott Packard said, “With a profound sense of loss and sadness, we mourn the passing of a remarkable leader and advocate for sustainable practices and regenerative agriculture. His work transcended many fields, most notably through EcoPractices ®, in environmental practices, natural resources and conservation.”
MOURNING THE LOSS OF SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS PRESIDENT JOHN HARSCH
The Wright Service Corp. Board of Directors and executive leadership announced the unexpected loss of Sustainable Environmental Consultants (SEC) President John Harsch in January 2022 as a result of a vehicle accident.
Under John’s leadership, SEC became a leader in providing innovative solutions to better the planet through sustainability risk management, agricultural engineering and compliance, and erosion control. SEC provides a range of environmental services needed by food companies and their agriculture supply systems.
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