Corporate Sustainability
Corporate Sustainability
Corporate Sustainability
June 2014
TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS
Our vision is to be an amazing logistics services organization that is
admired and trusted by our employees, customers, and community.
As a family owned business, we at Murphy are in for the long haul. We believe it
is important to be a leader, and today that involves sustainability. But what does
that really mean? It means looking at our facilities, our operations, and our place
in the community with a holistic view of how we do business and the impact it
has on our employees, our customers, and the environment.
Murphy has been taking a leadership role in this industry through its
sustainability efforts, which are detailed in this second annual Corporate
Sustainability Report.
We are guided by our belief that a truly sustainable business must balance
economic and environmental factors to be successful. For any decision we
make, we always consider our environmental impact, as well as our financial
Richard T. Murphy, Jr. position and return on investment. In our minds, this is the only way a 21st
President & CEO century business can survive.
Our company mission is simple: We provide innovative logistics solutions driven by our enthusiasm
to create a positive difference for our customers and employees. As the fourth generation leader
of Murphy, I can assure you that our core family values of integrity, courage, creativity, persistence,
humility, leadership, and community involvement are central to everything we do – now and in
the future.
Our long-term strategy is to invest in our infrastructure, people, material, and customers to drive
success. Murphy is constantly planning ahead to the next steps for our growth and development. Short-
term priorities include warding off a state warehouse tax, investing in our facilities to lower operating
costs, and investing in our people to retain talent.
As you will see in the following pages, 2013 had some successes and challenges. We have set some
concrete goals and will continue to prove that it is possible to do the right thing for employees, partners,
the community, and the environment while running a profitable enterprise. As we like to say, at Murphy,
we’ve always been Green.
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COMPANY SNAPSHOT
Murphy is a full-service supply chain logistics business offering multiple solutions to our customer
partners. Our longstanding business success is grounded in three practices:
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SUSTAINABILITY PRIORITIES
MATERIALITY
This report addresses business operations over which we have control, which means the five facilities we
own and occupy, the 27 freight trucks we own, and the 120 forklifts we operate on a day-to-day basis.
The subject matter included in the report covers what we think is most relevant to our business:
Energy: Direct energy consumed by our trucks and forklifts, indirect energy consumed by the
facilities we own and operate, and solar energy generated by the panels on our roofs.
Water: Municipally-supplied water consumed by our plumbing and irrigation systems, and water
runoff from our roofs and roadways.
Materials & Resources: Purchases and disposal of office supplies, furniture, electronics,
packaging, etc.
People: The safety, health, and well-being of our employees, as well as our place in
the community.
This report does not address material factors over which we do not have control: the energy consumed
by the thousands of trucks that we do not own serving our warehouses, the impact of our leased
facilities, or the upstream and downstream supply chain effects of the products we warehouse.
2013 HIGHLIGHTS
Corporate Wide Our New Eagan Warehouse
• Along with industry partners, • 350,000 sq. ft. facility opened after a $4.6 million upgrade
successfully lobbied the project. The building was built in 1970 and sat empty for 8
State of Minnesota to rescind a years prior to purchase.
warehouse tax just days
before implementation • 12% of electricity now produced on-site after installation
of 40kW roof solar array
• Published our first annual
Corporate Sustainability Report • 20% of water consumption saved due to installation of
satellite-based irrigation system
• Installed solar-powered battery
back-up for our headquarters’ • Installed state-of-the-art HVAC equipment
vital electricity needs
• LEED certification registration with anticipated Gold rating
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SUSTAINABILITY PRIORITIES
OUR VALUES
Integrity
Mutual Respect
Excellence
Creativity
Leadership
Richard T. Murphy, Jr. (right) with Council Member Cam Gordon (left) and Mayor R.T. Rybak (middle) celebrating
Murphy’s innovative stormwater system.
OUR GOALS
Within the context of our overarching goal of being a good corporate citizen, Murphy has three concrete
goals as it relates to our owned and operated facilities and their corresponding impact on the environment:
2013 Performance
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emit less than 50% of the national average for similar
size and type facilities. This involves not only undertaking 38%
energy efficiency measures, but also encompasses carbon greenhouse gas
sequestration and other activities we can do at sites or other emissions compared
land we own. to average
Energy
Increase the percent of our electricity generated through
renewable sources. This means continuing to invest in energy
7.9%
efficient technologies, so that the clean electricity generated electricity generated
from the sun will account for a greater proportion of our from solar power
consumption. So far, we’ve increased our percentage from
4.2% in 2011, to 7.1% in 2012, to 7.9% in 2013.
Water
Reduce water consumption by 25% from the 2010 baseline.
In 2010, Murphy had its first two facilities LEED certified 22.5%
under the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & reduction from
Maintenance rating system, and this further catapulted us into 2010 baseline
seeing the benefits of taking a holistic view of our operations.
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MANAGEMENT APPROACH
Any investment we make in our business has financial implications, both on the front end for cash flow
and for on-going operational expenses. Our approach is always measured, with an eye toward taking
advantage of opportunities to save money, improving the environment, and providing amazing service
to our customers. We have high standards for quality, and we do that through constant vigilance of our
operations. We go the extra mile and invest in third-party certification in several areas:
Murphy has LEED certified its Central campus (Silver), both 4700 and 4850
campuses in Fridley (Gold), is concluding the certification of its Eagan campus
(Gold), and is embarking on one of the first recertifications under the LEED for
Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) rating system for its Fridley locations.
Once the Eagan certification is complete, Murphy will have over 1.2 million square
feet of LEED certified warehouses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
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MANAGEMENT APPROACH
Maintaining the internationally-recognized third party certifications of LEED, Energy Star, ISO 9001, and
ISO 14001 are a key component of our overall business strategy. Why?
Third-party Verification: In the operations and maintenance of our facilities, we already do most
things required by the governing bodies of LEED, Energy Star, and ISO 14001. Third party verification
continues to hold us accountable to these high standards.
Business Strategy: Major corporations are starting to require that their supply chain partners go
green. Certification shows them that we are listening and responding to their current and future needs.
Marketing: Murphy has been consistently listed among the top 50 Green Supply Chain Partners and
has been featured in numerous business magazines, case studies, and television. This kind of exposure
opens up new opportunities to grow the business and educate others on how to be sustainable.
Return on Investment (ROI): Our investments have been paying off in reduced operating
expenses, allowing us to reinvest in our company.
For each material aspect that is discussed in the following pages, we describe why it matters and how
we manage the impacts. Our management approach undergoes continuous evaluation through internal
executive level review. Additionally, to ensure our management approach resonates with our customers
and the marketplace, the Director of Customer Service, the VP of Business Development and Client
Relations, and the VP of Transportation send out Customer Surveys every other year to:
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ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy conservation is by far the single greatest opportunity to reduce our dependence on fossil
fuels and decrease carbon emissions. Becoming more energy efficient is not just a one-time initiative.
Looking for ways to reduce energy consumption is an on-going endeavor, and as technology improves,
Murphy continues to be on the cutting edge.
4850 Main
Main HQ
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RENEWABLE ENERGY
Energy conservation can only take us so far toward
reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable energy
- specifically solar energy - can take us even further.
SOLAR POWER
Murphy has been working hard toward achieving
our goal of increasing our percentage of electricity
generated by renewable sources by utilizing our
large, flat roofs for solar panels. To date, we have
installed 326 kW of solar power. Guided by the State
of Minnesota and utility company programs, we have
achieved this by installing a series of 40 kW arrays
on our owned buildings. This includes multiple 40 kW What do these systems do?
arrays on the Minneapolis campus. Each 40 kW system can produce
between 30,000-50,000 kilowatt hours
Murphy Solar Production (kWh) per year, primarily
depending on sunlight
250,000 10%
or snowfall. 10
hours
200,000 8%
1 kilowatt hour
150,000 6% (kWh) = 100W
bulb
100,000 4%
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WATER EFFICIENCY
Murphy continues to take strides to become more efficient in our operations. While our operations do
not utilize a great amount of water, we recognize that water is a precious resource.
Our goal is to reduce water consumption by 25% below the 2010 baseline.
There are two primary components of water usage: plumbing fixtures and irrigation. Therefore, there are
two strategies to accomplish this goal:
Upgrade plumbing flow and flush fixtures to low-flow.
Reduce irrigation through investing in:
• Landscape that requires less irrigation, such as native prairies.
• High-efficiency irrigation systems that sense current conditions and forecast weather patterns.
12,000
Facility
9,000
Eagan
7033 Central
22.5% 4850 Main
Reduction 4700 Main
Main HQ
6,000
In 2013, we upgraded plumbing fixtures at our Main
headquarters and Eagan facility. In addition, our Eagan
location has a state-of-the-art satellite-based irrigation
system. Irrigation consumes by far the most water at all
3,000 of our facilities, with the exception of one of the offices
at Main headquarters. This building uses city water
piped through heat exchangers for cooling—which is
then dumped down the drain. Our longer-term capital
plan includes replacing this cooling system with a
0 roof-top unit, which, while increasing our energy usage
Gallons 2010 2011 2012 2013 slightly, would be more than offset by water savings.
Murphy’s facilities
used nearly 2 million gallons of water
less than the 2010 baseline.
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STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Stormwater runoff is a major source of water pollution. Conventional logistics campuses are made up of
vast amounts of impervious surfaces, such as roofs and pavement. These hard surfaces, known as “gray
infrastructure,” present a problem during major rainfall events because large volumes of stormwater can
overwhelm and damage storm sewers. This often requires expensive infrastructure upgrades to reduce
volume and improve water quality. Moreover, processing water takes a significant amount of energy,
producing more greenhouse gas emissions and higher municipal taxes and fees.
At its headquarters,
Murphy retains 100% of its stormwater on-site.
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BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity is the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. Why is biodiversity
important? Everything that lives in an ecosystem is part of the web of life, including humans. Each
species of vegetation and each creature has a place on the earth and plays a vital role. Maintaining a
wide diversity of species in each ecosystem is necessary to preserve the web of life that sustains all
living things.
NATIVE LANDSCAPE
In 1994, Murphy installed its first native prairie in Fridley. Native Prairie vs. Lawn
Today, all of our campuses have been planted with 4700 & 4850 Campuses
biologically-diverse native prairie and woodland
species. We have continued this tradition in 2013 Fertilization
$1,000
with the addition of 44,782 sq. ft. of prairie and 105
trees at our new Eagan facility. Our efforts replaced
conventional landscapes, made up of excessive turf grass Watering
area, with native vegetation that promotes stormwater $8,500
retention, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. These
investments dramatically reduce maintenance costs and
$17,000
annual savings in
improve public relations. Even though numerous vehicles
maintenance costs
enter and exit the facilities every day, neighbors and
visitors often refer to our campuses as “the place where
all the beautiful flowers grow.”
Mowing
$12,000
Maintenance
$4,240
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TRANSPORTATION
Murphy owns and operates 27 long-haul
trucks. These trucks travel an average
of between 150 and 450 miles per day,
consuming diesel fuel at a rate of 6.5 miles
per gallon.
In addition to
being a Cities Airports Rail lines
renewable
So far, we’ve saved energy source,
reduces the miles traveled
10% on fuel. biodiesel emits less harmful
to store and transport
pollutants compared with
As technologies improve, our customers’ goods. By
petroleum-based diesel fuel.
we will continue to look lowering the miles traveled,
for ways to reduce our we save on fuel costs while
direct emissions from and In 2013, we raised reducing our direct emissions
consumption of diesel fuel. our percentage to 5%. from diesel fuel.
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GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Greenhouse gas emissions can result from direct and indirect consumption - or burning - of fossil fuels.
Murphy reports on both: our direct greenhouse gas emissions from utilizing our 27 diesel-powered
trucks and 95 propane-powered forklifts (the other 25 forklifts are electric-powered), and our indirect
greenhouse gas emissions from heating, cooling, and ventilating our warehouses.
Murphy wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions because it’s simply the right thing to do. But there
are other benefits as well. As we reduce carbon emissions, we are reducing pollutants - such as carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane - in addition to helping reduce smog and fine particulate matter.
Murphy’s greenhouse
gas emissions are only 37.5% of what similar
size & type facilities emit.
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GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
There are two components to attaining our goal: Equivalent Metric Tons
of Carbon Dioxide
Reducing Carbon in 2013 (Mte)
Accomplished by reducing fossil fuel consumption 15,148 Mte
through both energy efficiency measures and 9,300 Mte
generating energy from clean, renewable sources Solar = 149 Mte
like the sun and wind. Energy Efficiency = 9,151 Mte
TYPICAL WAREHOUSE
Existing carbon still being emitted needs to be
offset, either by purchasing carbon credits or by
sequestering the carbon through one’s own actions – 5,848 Mte
like planting trees or installing native prairies. 162 Mte
Trees Planted = 134 Mte
Results for 2013 are slightly worse than our 26% Native Prairies = 28 Mte 5,686 Mte
performance for 2012 because we did not renew our
contract for renewable energy credits - which was an
MURPHY
additional carbon offset. We let the contract
lapse because it did not make financial sense.
37.5%
carbon emissions after
Opportunity
We plan to stay ahead of the game in our industry. As more customers are looking to green their supply
chain, we are here for them. Because we are investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, we are
lowering our operating costs while helping reduce greenhouse gases.
Risk
Climate change presents regulatory and physical risks for our business operations. From a regulatory
standpoint, a carbon tax would have financial implications to our bottom line. It could also affect our
customers’ and our own ability to transport goods. We believe our central locations and access to
rail lines are important risk - mitigating factors. We also continue to invest in our long haul trailers to
improve their fuel efficiency.
From a physical standpoint, our locations are not near shorelines and our facilities are not that
vulnerable. As a logistics company that serves the entire United States, however, any weather-related
disaster on either coast affects our business. To manage this risk, we continue to diversify across
industries and customers.
We view our efforts here as risk mitigation. The most recent legislation enacted in 2013 has not been
discussed much, but businesses are getting closer to having to pay for carbon emissions. The more we
can reduce our carbon footprint, the better off we are financially, especially compared with
our competition.
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MATERIALS & RESOURCES
Material selection plays a significant role in sustainable building operations. The life cycle of a material
- extraction, processing, transportation, use, and disposal - can have negative health and environmental
consequences. Murphy has adopted environmentally responsible procurement and waste management
policies that can significantly reduce these impacts.
PURCHASING
By showing preference for products with recycled content, we are doing our part to expand markets
for recycled materials, slow the consumption of raw materials, and reduce waste entering landfills. In
2013, we formally established a corporate-wide sustainable purchasing policy for all of our campuses.
This means we try to meet thresholds established for purchasing products with recycled content, rapidly
renewable content, are rechargeable, or are third-party certified.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
At Murphy, we are reducing the quantity of waste generated
through responsible procurement practices. Our goal is to manage
solid waste in a manner that will:
• Minimize landfilling and/or incineration and reduce toxicity
• Protect the environment and public health
• Conserve natural resources
The nature of our business is such that we encounter a great deal of
packaging materials coming in to our warehouses. While we cannot
avoid that, we can make a difference in where those materials end
up. Through efforts like extensive cardboard, metal, and plastic
recycling, along with the use of starch-based packing peanuts, we
are able to divert more than 99% of the ongoing consumables we
use daily in the office and warehouse from going into the landfill.
REUSE
Our commitment to reuse is further exemplified by several standard Murphy policies:
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
Health and sustainability go hand-in-hand. At Murphy, we know that our people are what make us great.
In order to continue to be a preferred employer within the industry, Murphy employs several strategies
around health and well-being.
COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS
Our employees have a standard benefits package
that includes the following:
• Free annual wellness screening to our employees
and their spouses, which includes:
o Blood tests measuring 36 attributes
o Wellness coach available to all employees
o Wellness round-tables
o Health competitions and prizes
o Educational seminars regarding
common concerns
o Employee Assistance Provider available for all
employees and their families
• Generous medical, vision, and dental coverage
o Preventative care for ages 6 and older
o Well Child coverage up to age 6
o Routine cancer screening and
gynecological exams
• Life insurance
• Short and long term disability insurance
• Parental leave policy
• 401K profit sharing contributions
Murphy’s turnover
rate was only 4.7% in 2013, one of the lowest in the
trucking and logistics industry.
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SAFETY & SECURITY
Safety and security matter to sustainability because we are in the business of keeping our customers’
goods clean, safe, and secure. Our own employees’ safety in handling a customer’s goods, whether it
be on the truck, loading a rail car, using forklifts to move goods, or managing the business, is of utmost
important to us. We would not be a sustainable business if we did not focus our efforts in this arena.
SAFETY
Putting our employees first means
keeping them safe from injury. We
place a high value on safety, as demonstrated
by our OSHA Certification from the Minnesota
Department of Labor and Industry. We do this
through a high level of leadership and employee
involvement, systems in place that identify,
correct, and control workplace hazards, and
employee safety training and education.
Safety Training
Our employees receive annual safety training
to ensure we stay current, and we rotate the
training locations among our owned facilities.
In 2013, training consisted of the following:
Murphy’s incidence
rate was only 1.88 in 2013, compared to the national average of 3.4
for the transportation and logistics industry.
Data source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
In keeping with our overarching goal of being a good corporate citizen, the communities surrounding
Murphy facilities trust us to be a good neighbor. Because local businesses depend upon their
communities for survival, involvement and community engagement is an integral part of our culture.
Local Community
Murphy employees annually contribute their time and money to various causes.
Between the Murphy family and the Murphy business, 2013 highlights include:
• Volunteered consolidation and international shipping service for medical
supplies and equipment to Children’s Surgery International in Africa
• Provided the U.S. Marines with storage for their Toys for Tots’ unused toys for
use in subsequent years
• Donated truckloads of food to, and helped pack food for, the less fortunate at
Children’s
Second Harvest in Minneapolis Surgery
• Helped plan fundraiser for Cancer Kids Fund and participated in committee International
Logistics Industry
Murphy puts a high value on community involvement and, in
fact, requires our senior management and owners to have active
involvement on committees, leadership roles, and conference
attendance at the following industry groups:
• Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
• Warehouse Education and Research Council (WERC)
• International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA)
• Minnesota Warehouse Association (MWA)
• Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA)
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)
Leadership
Beyond donating time and money to non-profits, Richard T. Murphy, Jr.
donates his expertise and leadership skills to a number of organizations:
• MN Department of Transportation - Freight Advisory Committee
• College of Design, U of MN - Advisory Board Member
• Children’s Hospital of MN - Board
• Carlson School of Business, U of MN - Chair, Operations and Supply
Chain Advisory Committee
• Center for Transportation Studies, U of MN - Executive Committee
Chair and Board Member
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Murphy Warehouse Company z2014 Murphy
Sustology LLC
701 24th Avenue SE
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Minneapolis, MN 55414 waste recycled paper