Our founders, Robert (RT) and Dorothy Tracy, taught frugality to their children and made it an essential part of the business as well.
In the Tracy's home, aluminum foil was cleaned and used again. At our headquarters, RT constantly walked around the office to turn off lights and copy machines. If you left an empty room with the lights still on, you would hear about it from RT later.
Their legacy of sustainability lives on in our company today. We track everything from utilities and water usage to truck and rail miles to ensure we are doing our part to reduce our impact on the planet.
Our Top Waste Elimination Methods
Repurposed Food Products
We donate food that is near expiration to farmers instead of disposing of it in the landfill. Each year, around 400,000 pounds of protein-free food is converted into hog feed.
Reduced Waste
We work to eliminate unnecessary processes from our work. This translates to less material, energy, and waste in our systems. In 2023 alone, we removed $10 million of waste using Lean methods.
Our Sustainability Initiatives
Supplier Sustainability
When we pick up product at a manufacturing plant instead of the supplier's distribution center, we remove an average of 25,000 miles from Dot and our suppliers' supply chain annually. The product's freshness and integrity increase with this method as well.
We remove our suppliers' less-than-truckload (LTL) orders from the road, meaning fewer trucks are burning fuel and creating unnecessary carbon emissions. See how our business model helps suppliers save money and reduce their footprint.