SUSTAIN 2025 in Review

On April 30th, 2025, almost 100 people from manufacturing, and specialty or professional services, were seated at R.A Jones & Co. in Northern Kentucky to hear the latest updates from Sustainability leaders and drivers in the manufacturing (R.A Jones & Co. and Long-Stanton Manufacturing), energy (Baird - Energy Transition), and waste management & recycling (Rumpke) industries, with a Keynote from former banking executive (Bank of America).

First came an introduction and review of the key evolutions in Sustainability both in Europe and the USA by EACC Executive Director, Nicole Fenyo:

"A sustainable business in the industrial space is one that operates in a way that meets current economic and production needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs—balancing profitability, environmental responsibility, and social impact."


This was followed by hosts, R.A Jones & Co.'s evolution story from when they first presented at SUSTAIN 2023 to where they are today in 2025, presented by COO Daniel Yoder:

"Facility improvements, small and large, are a great way to start your sustainability journey. They are visible to the employees and community. With this momentum you can scale sustainability into more areas of your organization that will yield even greater benefits for the community, customer, and business."



The keynote from Matt Elliott, former Bank of America executive, on "Taming the Chaos: the Power of &" was extraordinarily engaging, motivating and uplifting - encouraging and indeed guiding the audience to understand the power of thinking in terms of "both-and" versus "either-or":

"Today’s high-velocity business environment demands rapid decision-making, and either/or choices are often the simplest and easiest path forward. But that speed can come at a cost—sacrificing innovation, collaboration, and long-term value.  Adopting the "Power of &" framework tames chaos by slowing the world down, allowing us to dig deeper, think bigger and unlock breakthrough collaboration, trust and innovation. The result? Leaders thrive by balancing profit with purpose; employees adapt to transformation with confidence by pivoting from change-weary to change-ready; teams shift from chasing short-term wins to sustainable growth; and organizations thrive by moving from division to connection.   All by harnessing the Power of &."

Marvin Cunningham, CEO of Long-Stanton Manufacturing, brought the unique and very practical perspective of a family-owned small business to the fore:

"The Business Case for Sustainability:  That companies of any use can use sustainability to plan for and invest in the future.   In my option it is something that companies cannot afford to ignore."



Matt Schultz from Baird - Energy Transition's message was more sobering, but necessary:

"The U.S. power grid faces significant challenges that have begun to manifest in the form of higher and more unpredictable costs, along with decreased reliability. This is being driven by increasing demand tied to data centers, EVs and electrification, but also by aging infrastructure and the ongoing retirement of firm, reliable assets. Consumers of electricity have the opportunity to act and insulate themselves from the volatility in the electricity markets by performing energy audits, investing in energy efficiency and considering alternative sources like on-site renewable energy."



And last, but by no means least, Natalie Cooke from Rumpke Waste & Recycling shared the bigger story of waste collection, management and recycling:



The event closed with a tour of R.A Jones production area and a lively cocktail networking hour, sponsored by First Financial Bank, with special beer provided by ReeR Safety. 

Times are challenging, be it because it's "mass events season" before the summer holidays, or because of the new administration's changes to the way things are being done... but the EACC community showed up, learned, connected, discussed, shared and took a breather together - just as we like it. Just as we need it.

Click below to view the event video:


video courtesy of ELEVAR and Matt King

With thanks to our event sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor: MELINK Solar
Host: R.A Jones & Co.
Panel Sponsor: TechSolve
Welcome Networking: GCFTZ
Networking Cocktail Sponsor: First Financial Bank
Registration Sponsor: Altix Consulting