The M.J. Soffe Company has embarked on an aggressive energy efficiency project at its Fayetteville, NC headquarters that should reduce its lighting costs by 65 percent and cut its overall electricity costs by almost 20 percent.

“This project is a superb example of what we can achieve to reduce our energy footprint to benefit both our bottom line and our environment,” said Scott Reynolds, vice president of operations at Soffe.

Soffe partnered with Piedmont Service Group, a NC-based facility services and energy efficiency company, to lower its utility costs by retrofitting its warehouse and other buildings with new energy efficient lighting technology.

Piedmont will upgrade 2,500 lighting fixtures at the Soffe campus during the next four months. The new fixtures include the addition of LED lights in conference rooms and a complete overhaul of the warehouse lighting, including occupancy sensors that allow lights to be turned off when distribution and warehouse spaces are unoccupied. Piedmont identified tax credits available through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that may help offset the cost of the project for Soffe.

The new fixtures offer many other benefits: improving workplace safety by providing better illumination; reducing overall utility costs by eliminating older lights that generated heat inside the plant; and lowering maintenance costs through the installation of products with a longer life. The new technology also brings Soffe into compliance with new federal lighting efficiency regulations that take effect in the coming years.

The greatest benefit, however, is the positive impact on the environment and Soffe's bottom line. The energy efficiency project reduces Soffe's carbon footprint by eliminating 846 metric tons of carbon dioxide — the equivalent of taking 166 cars off the road.

M.J. Soffe, LLC is is a division of Delta Apparel. M.J. Soffe was acquired by Delta Apparel, Inc. in 2003. Delta Apparel, Inc. also owns Junkfood Clothing Company, To The Game, LLC and Art Gun, LLC.