ROCKFORD, IL. — A global distributor of electrical parts that are part of cell phones, computers, cars and most electronic products, Rockford-based Waldom Electronics has managed to stay “a great little secret.”
That may have changed July 15 as the 78-year-old company dedicated to sustainability unveiled its new 760-panel solar array during a celebration. The system is capable of off-setting 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over 20 years — an amount equivalent to 15.8 million miles driven by gas-powered vehicles.
“Sustainability is not a buzzword, and it’s not a marketing campaign for us,” CEO Don Akery said. “It’s really how we want to run. We see the benefit of running our facilities this way.”
Located at 1801 Morgan St., the company was worth $13 million in 2003. Waldom is now an international distributor with nearly $200 million in annual sales, Akery said. About 120 full-time employees work at the company’s Rockford headquarters and the company employs about 250 full-time workers globally.
Waldom is a “distributor’s distributor,” selling some 240,000 hard-to-find electronic products it acquires — like capacitors in cell phones — to distributors. It does not sell to original equipment manufacturers or end users.
The company says it will be carbon neutral by 2027 and directly and indirectly carbon neutral by 2035. Waldom plants a tree for every order it takes. Last year, it planted 260,000 trees, expects to plant about 500,000 trees this year and more than 1 million trees next year.
The company buys carbon credits to offset its carbon footprint from travel. And it gives its employees a paid day-off every year to volunteer for a charity.
Out back, Waldom keeps an inventory of what it calls “green stock.” These are electronic items that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill if not for Waldom being part of the supply chain, Akery said. An estimated 8 billion items have been repurposed instead of ending up in the garbage because of the program.
Its new estimated $1 million sunlight-tracking solar panels designed by Orbital Energy are located east of the building. They have smaller rear-facing panels that capture energy from the sun’s reflection.
According to EPA data, the system over two decades will save carbon dioxide equivalent to planting 106,400 trees and it will produce 38,000 kilowatt-hours of clean energy monthly — enough to power over 42 U.S. homes per month.
Ald. Tamir Bell, D-13, said Waldom is a global company making a big impact locally, more than matching donations of its employees to area non-profits.
“This project is more than a solar installation,” Bell said. “This investment directly speaks to Waldom’s commitment to a more sustainable future.”
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Waldom Electronics pulls back curtain on Rockford’s ‘great little secret’
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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