HIROTEC AMERICA, a leading automotive supplier known for its innovative production solutions, has built its reputation on a forward-thinking approach to sustainable manufacturing. As a family-owned, medium-sized business, the company was motivated to build a sustainability legacy that supported their current employees, community, and future generations. In 2024, while already meeting reporting requirements for CDP and EcoVadis, HIROTEC’s leadership sought to transition from compliance to a more proactive approach to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership.
Through the Centrepolis Accelerator program in Southeast Michigan, HIROTEC connected with Fresh Coast. We worked with HIROTEC to design a sustainability plan that fit the company’s goals, using climateLEAP—our sustainability planning program for small and medium businesses. Through climateLEAP, we worked with HIROTEC leadership and engaged its entire workforce to identify the most impactful priorities and develop a sustainability plan that aligns operational goals with a long-term vision to create a lasting, positive legacy of responsible leadership.
Overview
HIROTEC leadership faced several key questions as they began building a broader sustainability plan: Where should they begin? Which actions would deliver the most significant impact for their business and their stakeholders? How could they create a program that was both ambitious and achievable? Furthermore, as a key player in the automotive supply chain, HIROTEC was receiving an increasing number of inquiries from customers regarding its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. They needed a plan that would not only guide their internal efforts but also provide clear, confident answers.
Fresh Coast’s climateLEAP product was designed specifically for businesses like HIROTEC. It provides a structured yet flexible framework for small and medium-sized businesses to jumpstart their sustainability programs. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution, climateLEAP is a diagnostic and strategic tool that helps a company understand its sustainability opportunities relevant to its business and industry.
The climateLEAP process began with interviews with HIROTEC leadership and a survey covering environmental, social, and governance categories relevant to the business. This initial scoping allowed us to benchmark HIROTEC’s existing efforts and interests against industry best practices to identify key areas of opportunity.
A key component of the climateLEAP process is the materiality assessment. This critical step involves surveying both internal and external stakeholders to gauge which sustainability topics are most important to the business and to society. By plotting these priorities on a matrix, companies can visualize and identify the initiatives that have the strongest support from both groups—the strategic sweet spot where business goals and stakeholder expectations align. The assessment serves a dual purpose: it provides data-driven guidance and creates a valuable opportunity to engage with customers, suppliers, and employees on a deeper level.
In a move that exemplified its commitment to all employees, HIROTEC took the unique step of sending the materiality assessment survey to all of its employees. The result was an unprecedented 91 responses—a significantly higher number than is typical for such assessments.
This high level of engagement helped ensure that the resulting sustainability plan was not a top-down directive but a shared vision.
The collaborative climateLEAP process culminated in a set of clear, actionable deliverables that equipped HIROTEC to move forward with confidence.
HIROTEC’s commitment to building a positive legacy paid off. The climateLEAP process provided the clarity, structure, and stakeholder engagement necessary to build a meaningful and impactful program.
Fresh Coast looks forward to assisting other small- to medium-sized businesses through the climateLEAP program to develop and implement their sustainability strategies in 2026 and beyond.
