Soy sauce brewing is an ancient art, requiring many resource-intensive steps to create an authentic, rich product. No one knows this better than Leonard McMichael, plant manager of Yamasa Corporation U.S.A.

Yamasa started in Japan more than 350 years ago, and began U.S. production in Salem in 1994. Since then, McMichael’s mission has been to cut energy use at the plant while increasing production and maintaining the company’s high quality standards. His efforts have paid off.

In 1998, the plant used more than 2.5 million kWh of electricity to produce about 1.75 million gallons of sauce. Last year, after expanding the facility by over 25,000 square feet, it used less than 2.4 million kWh to produce nearly twice the sauce.

Those savings came from operational changes and investments in more efficient heating and air compression systems and new filling equipment. This year, as its Save More, Matter More pledge, Yamasa U.S.A. is focusing on lights, hoping to convert its old T12 and high-bay lighting to more energy-efficient fixtures.

“PGE has always been actively involved in our energy strategy, which helped bring these projects to life,” McMichaels says. “State tax credits and Energy Trust incentives made them financially possible”. His advice? “Get the help that’s out there so you can reap the benefits, too.”