LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Empire Homes, a premier California homebuilder, announced a new initiative to reduce smoke emissions from grading equipment and increase fuel efficiency by 10 to 15 percent at its Seneca Springs construction site in Beaumont, California.


Nestled beneath the gentle vista of the San Gorgonio Mountains, Seneca Springs will be a master-planned community for 955 families. Known for providing a quality environment for homeowners, Empire Homes was determined to minimize its environmental impact at Seneca Springs.

To help achieve that goal, Empire Homes and Don McCoy Corporation installed new emission-reducing technology. The innovative technology injects platinum into the engine's combustion chamber to burn fuel more efficiently, thus reducing black smoke. The system was manufactured by Emissions Technology, Inc. of Arizona and supplied exclusively by Tom Yeager, president of RECAT, Inc., a California distributor of used and rebuilt Caterpillar parts and components.

"We're excited to find a way to decrease the impact of our operations on the environment," said Chris Taylor, Vice President of Development for Empire Homes. "We're partnered with Don McCoy Corporation because we share a commitment to quality, the environment, and use of the most up-to-date technology."

Don McCoy is the President of Don McCoy Corporation. With over fifty years experience in California, he takes pride in being a "Clean Air Contractor."

"This is the first time we've used this technology," McCoy said. "We wanted to get ahead of the emission standards required by the California Air Resources Board and the Environmental Protection Agency."

"This is a huge step in that direction," he said. "The upgrade is relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and there's minimal down time."

McCoy researched other alternatives for his older equipment, but they were few and costly. He could have bought new equipment or had the huge engines removed and sent away for rebuilding. Both required enormous investment in time and dollars. RECAT's new emissions reducing technology also achieves about 10 to 15 percent in fuel savings. With a large fleet of Caterpillar graders, each using 300 to 350 gallons of diesel fuel a day, the savings add up quickly. The return on investment can be realized in the first five months of use.

Empire and McCoy will be using the RECAT technology on additional projects in the future. To learn more about Empire Homes visit www.empirehomes.com.

Learn more about Emission Technology at: www.emissionstech.com