GUILFORD – Guilford of Maine received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in the category of Smart Production at a ceremony on Sept. 21 in Augusta.

In addition to presenting the award, Gov. Angus King joined Martha Kirkpatrick, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, in saluting the company because it is working collaboratively with the government to “push the envelope” of performance toward minimal environmental impact. The company has helped to design and has agreed to participate in the state’s new environmental performance program, “Step Up.”

“We are very pleased to be recognized by the governor,” said Tim Hughes, director of operations for Guilford of Maine. The Smart Production Award is significant because it recognizes that Guilford of Maine’s management places environmental performance as a key company objective equal to financial performance and manufacturing excellence, he said.

“This award recognizes all of the hard work of Guilford of Maine employees on our journey toward sustainable manufacturing,” Hughes added.

The company received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in 1998 in the category of Sustainable Development and in 1999 in the category of Environmental Management Systems. The company’s Guilford manufacturing facility and its East Douglas, Mass., finishing facility are both ISO14001 certified, the highest voluntary international standard for environmental management.

Guilford of Maine is a manufacturer of textile products for commercial interiors with sites in Guilford and Newport, East Douglas, Mass., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Granby, Quebec. The company is part of Interface Fabrics Group Inc., a division of Interface Inc.