City of Industry, Calif. – In 2007, Bentley Prince Street became the first carpet manufacturing facility in the country to receive a silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB). Today, Bentley Prince Street is proud to announce it is now certified Gold LEED-EB and remains the only carpet manufacturer to receive LEED certification by the USGBC. Achieving Gold certification was a goal shared by all associates, who actively took part in continuous sustainability education, energy conservation, waste reduction, community service and alternative transportation.
“I am extremely proud of all our associates, whose commitment and passion led to this accomplishment,” said Ralph Grogan, president and CEO, Bentley Prince Street. “Earning LEED status is a monumental task in any industry, and receiving Gold for our manufacturing facility, which is over 45 years old, demonstrates that it can be done. We hope that more manufacturers will join in our commitment to environmental responsibility.”
Key facility environmental highlights of the points Bentley Prince Street received in each of the 7 Sections of the LEED Rating System include:
• Sustainable sites
• Alternative transportation- ridesharing, bike racks, etc.
• Cool roof- white reflective roof reduces “heat island” effect
• Landscaping & erosion control
• Water efficiency
• Restroom & break room fixtures reduced water consumption by 40% against CA standard baseline
• Water performance measurement – points for measuring water performance
• Energy and atmosphere
• Majority of points were awarded for optimizing energy performance
• Energy analysis and emissions reduction reporting
Materials and resources:
• Sustainable purchasing procedures – including furniture, lighting, computers and food purchases.
• Waste management measures
Indoor environmental quality:
• Lighting and thermal controls
• Increased ventilation
• Green cleaning – equipment, products and procedures
Innovation in operations:
• Green cleaning
• Habitat restoration
• Continuous sustainability education
• Documentation of sustainable building costs & impacts
Regional priority credits (LEED takes into account that projects have different challenges based on where they are located):
• Water efficiency
• Alternative transportation
• Renewable energy
“Our facility was built in 1967 and it required a great deal of dedication and investment to transform its operations toward more sustainable practices,” said Holly DeBrodt, director of sustainability, Bentley Prince Street. “We know that ‘you can’t make a green product in a brown plant’ so our commitment to environmental manufacturing processes is of utmost importance to our overall sustainability path. LEED certification demonstrates this commitment and I am so proud of our team for achieving this goal.”
The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts, the LEED-EB certification considers water efficiency, energy efficiency, whole-building cleaning and maintenance, indoor air quality, recycling programs and facilities, exterior maintenance programs and system upgrades to meet green building energy, water, IAQ and lighting performance standards.
All products manufactured by Bentley Prince Street are certified to the NSF-140 Sustainability Assessment for Carpet at the Platinum level when installed with High PerformancePC backing and at the Gold level when installed with NexStep Cushion Tile backing. Bentley Prince Street is a multi-year recipient of the GSA Evergreen Award.
For more information about Bentley Prince Street’s award-winning, sustainable products and culture, visit the company anytime on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & Designing For Life Blog.