Cooley Group sets new industry standards, while saving the environment

FUELING UP: ­Henrique DaSilva, left, senior lead inspector slitter, and Daniel Dwight, CEO and president of Cooley Group, work together with the company’s CoolThane fuel-containment material. / PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS
FUELING UP: ­Henrique DaSilva, left, senior lead inspector slitter, and Daniel Dwight, CEO and president of Cooley Group, work together with the company’s CoolThane fuel-containment material. / PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

PBN MANUFACTURING AWARDS 2020 | Exporting Excellence: Cooley Group


THE COOLEY GROUP, in its 90 years of developing and manufacturing geomembrane solutions, has seen its fair share of innovative ideas introduced to the industry. In fact, Cooley employees often bring new ideas to the table and set new industry standards.

Cooley CEO and President Daniel Dwight noted the company in 1977 became North America’s first thermoplastic roofing manufacturer. Other Cooley firsts, Dwight said, include in 1983 introducing DuPont Kevlar-reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane for oil booms; developing PVC billboard substrates for outdoor advertising a decade later; manufacturing urethane geomembranes for oil booms to contain oil spills in the ocean – most notably from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010; and in 2014 offering PVC-free, fully recyclable print media for large billboards.

“We have a long history of pioneering advancements across the industries we serve,” Dwight said.

- Advertisement -

From its Pawtucket headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Cranston and Lancaster, S.C., Cooley’s 154 employees serve customers across more than 50 countries. Clients include the U.S. military, global roofing companies, locally owned print shops and other smaller businesses.

Cooley operates across five main product lines – water/oil/chemical containment solutions, waterproofing solutions, print media solutions, sign and shade solutions, and custom solutions. Its solutions are used in various initiatives, including environmental protection regarding water, fuel and chemical containment; military initiatives; outdoor advertising; and roofing initiatives.

In the past three years, Cooley underwent a companywide transition, shifting from analog and legacy manufacturing equipment and practices to intelligent connectivity by implementing smart devices in every facility and on the production floor. With more manufacturing and product-performance standards being introduced across the industry, Cooley believes connecting its manufacturing equipment to a digital network and extracting substantial real-time data from these connections is becoming ever more valuable.

Cooley recently collaborated with a U.S. military fabrication partner that led to developing new technology for the design and manufacture of a U.S. Navy combat raiding craft. The company feels this technology will enhance the readiness and safety of military personnel in combat. Another joint effort between Cooley and an international water reservoir fabrication partner resulted in the development of the world’s first reservoir lined and covered with geomembranes that have a 30-year lifespan.

Economic prosperity, social responsibility and environmental stewardship are three pillars Cooley follows to achieve sustainable growth. Cooley’s commitment to the environment can be frequently seen within its work.

“Most of our product solutions across our business units have applications in the protection and preservation of the world’s natural resources,” Dwight said. “Whether we are developing and manufacturing the materials used to protect and preserve drinking water in drought-stricken regions around the globe, transporting water to cast over the raging bush fires in Australia, or preventing environmental contamination through engineered chemical containment bladders and secondary containment barriers, Cooley is thinking of how our technologies can best serve our planet.”

Cooley last year introduced two sustainability initiatives that target energy preservation. The company formed a partnership with waste-management company Geocycle to convert production-trim waste from landfills into energy. Cooley also installed solar power at its Cranston facility. Both projects have moved the company closer to its goal of 100% energy independence across all facilities.

“This commitment [to environmental stewardship] is evident in part through our product solutions, which themselves have environmental benefits – materials for protection and preservation of drinking water, for fighting forest fires, and for containing oil spills,” said Hayley Dwight, Cooley’s global brand and communications manager. She also said the commitment is evident in Cooley’s We Make It, We Take It Back recycling program, and the emphasis that Cooley’s research and development team places on the reusability of its product solutions so such solutions “don’t just end up in a landfill at the end of their useful life.”


COVID-19 UPDATE

BUSINESS AT COOLEY GROUP has not slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company expanded upon its medical and health care product offerings to help with the enormous need for personal protective equipment. Additionally, Cooley has been delivering a host of critical products, including liners and covers for food and agriculture production; harvesting and transportation; water, wastewater and chemical storage; and respiratory vests, hospital bedding and safety suites.

Internally, employees have stepped up to the challenge of keeping themselves and their fellow team members safe.

“Throughout the pandemic, what has impressed me the most is the level of cooperation Cooley has received from our workforce,” said Deb Bedrosian, Cooley’s vice president of human resources. “Employees have proactively supported the company’s COVID-19 guidelines and recommendations for remaining healthy, even asking for additional cleaning supplies and masks.”

No posts to display