Durakon Announces Green Initiatives - Duraliner and All Star bedliners are recyclable

I hope you will consider posting this news for your subscribers. I've  
also attached the release as a word document.

Leslie




  Leading Automotive Aftermarket Manufacturer - Durakon® Industries

Now Leads the Industry in GREEN Initiatives





Lapeer, MI (September 24, 2007)…Durakon Industries, manufacturer of  
the top selling drop-in bedliner for trucks and a leading brand of  
truck tonneau covers, is now setting a new standard in “GREEN�??  
corporate initiatives to ensure a healthier, more sustainable world.  
In addition to their corporate iniatives to conserve energy, reclaim  
used water, and build wetlands at their headquarters in Lapeer, the  
company is now proud to announce that both Duraliner® and All Star®  
bedliners are manufactured with almost 100% recycled and recyclable  
material. This new “green-focused�?? manufacturing process of their  
main product line will greatly reduce landfill waste without any loss  
to the product’s high standards of quality or durability. It is an  
eco friendly approach to manufacturing that reduces the use of fossil  
fuels used in the production of virgin plastics.



Durakon’s commitment is to a completely closed loop manufacturing  
and reclamation process for the company’s primary post consumer  
waste.  The reclamation of HDPE plastic, the common material used to  
manufacture all bedliners, will have a significant impact over time.  
In a short period of time, it is estimated that Durakon will have  
prevented 150,000 lbs. of bedliners from entering landfills, greatly  
reducing carbon emissions in the process.



The company’s manufactured tonneau cover, Duracover, is currently  
being made with a high content of recycled materials and is  
recyclable.  Tonneau covers are one of the top five added truck  
product accessories for pickups. Durakon’s tonneau cover is both a  
recycled product, and is one of the few accessories that offers a  
benefit of improved fuel efficiency. A recent SEMA study found that  
the use of a tonneau cover on a vehicle driving 48 MPH will reduce  
the coefficient of drag by 5.73%. This translates to a 1.8% MPG gain  
in fuel efficiency.



Durakon Industries has had a longstanding environmental policy to  
utilize manufacturing processes that reduce pollution, evidenced by  
their certification in 2001 as ISO 14001.

To receive ISO 14001 certification, a company must commit to an  
environmental management system that is designed to prevent pollution  
in all forms, encourage fuel efficiency, and make policies and  
decisions that effect efficient energy use. It is also one reason why  
Durakon Industries has not entered into the lucrative spray-on  
bedliner business, a business that requires emissions of high levels  
of extremely harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). VOCs are  
emitted in the paint process and are extremely harmful to the  
respiratory system.  Regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency  
(EPA), VOCs have been shown to be fatal without proper protection.



Dennis DeLeonard, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Durakon  
Industries, says, “Durakon has always quietly pursued environmental  
initiatives to prevent pollution, improve air quality and conserve  
energy. The ISO 14001 certification is an excellent process to  
determine your overall environmental performance and ensure  
compliance of all statutory and regulatory requirements. As an  
environmentally focused company, we are committed to a reduction of  
carbon emissions to reduce global warming not only in the production  
of our products with the latest thermoforming technology, but also by  
keeping liners from ever entering landfills. We’re very pleased to  
report that our distribution network - the Distributor Council - is  
fully supporting these aggressive green initiatives.



All recyclable Duraliner and All Star bedliners made from recycled  
HDPE plastic will be identified for the consumer with a decal that  
will be located on the interior of the liner near the tailgate.  The  
new GREEN bedliners are currently being distributed nationwide. There  
will be no change to the company’s warranty for these new eco- 
friendly liners.



Durakon is the world's leading supplier of vehicle protection  
products, and cargo management systems.  The company’s products  
include: bedliners, tonneau covers, storage boxes and thermoformed  
paint film products for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and  
the Automotive Aftermarket. Durakon’s brands include: DuralinerÒ,  
All StarÒ, and Duracover®.



  For more information about Durakon Industries, or to review the  
company’s published environmental policy, go to www.durakon.com, or  
call toll free at (800) 933-4200. Durakon Industries, Inc. is located  
at 2101 N. Lapeer Road, Lapeer, MI 48446.



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Leslie Maxwell
Martin & Company Public Relations Consultant
Martin & Company Advertising
M&C Phone: 615/876-1822
Direct Line:   615/952-3193
Cell: 615/429-7965
lesliemaxwell@comcast.net
www.martincoadvertising.com