Porter Industries Earns US Green Building Council LEEDEB Gold Designation 3rd in Region 1st Cleaning Company and 8th Building



Porter Industries, the region'ss leading commercial and residential cleaning service, has earned the LEED-EB Gold 2.0 designation (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings) from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The designation, for the company'ss headquarters at 5202 Granite Street, is one of the top energy and environmental design certifications from the USGBC. Porter Industries is the first for-profit, privately owned business in the eight-state Rocky Mountain Region, the first cleaning company and just the eighth building nationally, to earn the designation.

Our company mission is to provide a clean, safe, healthy environment, and LEED certification is one more way to practice what we preach, and demonstrate our commitment to our customers, their environment and their employees, as well as our employees, said Steve Hendrickson, Porter'ss president and CEO.

The LEED-EB designation recognizes Porter Industries's building design and operation. The company earned 48 out of 85 possible points during their 18-month certification process. They excelled in obtaining credits for their 's8220;green cleaning's8221; program, a significant component of the LEED-EB process. Company owners Bob and Marilyn Stone were part of the design team for the company'ss headquarters and were also part of the process team that obtained the designation. The company was assisted by Colorado State University'ss Institute for the Built Environment. As part of the process, two Porter staff members, Ken Sargent and Greg Jones, became LEED-accredited professionals, and are available to consult with other businesses interested in pursuing LEED certification.

The energy-efficient building features perimeter offices, natural lighting, operable windows and hands-free washrooms. The organization'ss green business program includes green cleaning methods, as well as green purchasing, recycling and pest management. The company joins organizations such as the California Environmental Protection Agency, the National Geographic Society, and JohnsonDiversey that have also earned LEED-EB accreditation.

The LEED-EB standard is a road map for delivering economically profitable, environmentally responsible, healthy, productive places to live and work. The LEED Rating System for Existing Buildings addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues including chemical use; ongoing indoor air quality; energy efficiency; water efficiency; recycling programs and facilities; exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades to meet green building energy, water, IAQ, and lighting performance standards. Earning LEED-EB accreditation has been shown to increase asset value, tenant retention and satisfaction, shareholder value, employee satisfaction and morale, stakeholder relations, return on investment, net operating income via lower operating costs, and productivity.

About Porter Industries
Porter Industries, founded in 1967, is the leading commercial and residential cleaning service serving Northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. The company provides its clients with a comprehensive strategy to help attain safe, healthy, high-performing buildings. Porter Industries advises clients on best practices, cleaning strategies, procedures and guidelines supported by easy-to-understand training materials; environmentally preferable purchasing guidelines for selecting janitorial chemicals, paper, liners, tools and equipment; initiatives that encourage occupant involvement to help ensure program success; communication materials to educate key audiences about environmental efforts; and a pathway to earn credits toward certification under the LEED for Existing Building. With two LEED-accredited professionals on staff, and a LEED-EB certification for its headquarters, Porter Industries offers expertise based on real-world experience in green cleaning and operations. The company has been recognized for its green approach to business by the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce; The Ashkin Group; the U.S. Green Building Council; the City of Loveland; the Colorado CleanTech Initiative; and others. For more information, call (970) 667-5239 ext. 205, email, or visit www.porterindustries.com.

About the U.S. Green Building Council, and LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council'ss core purpose is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation's8217;s foremost coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Our more than 6,000 member organizations work together to develop a variety of programs and services, and forge strategic alliances with key industry and research organizations and federal, state and local government agencies. Our collective power is leading the transformation of the building industry and market to sustainability. Council programs are Committee-Based, Member-Driven, and Consensus-Focused.

About LEED-EB
LEED-EB is designed to complement the LEED Green Building Rating System, Version 2.0 for new construction and major renovations. The LEED-EB Rating System is part of a comprehensive suite of LEED assessment tools under development by the USGBC to promote sustainable design, construction and operations practices in buildings nationwide. LEED-EB is applicable to existing buildings that are seeking LEED Certification for the first time, as well as projects previously certified under LEED standards for new construction. LEED-EB provides the opportunity for building owners and operators to meet their sustainable operations goals and to reduce the impacts of their buildings on the environment and occupant health over their entire life cycle. Further information on the rating system is available through the links at the top of the page, or by contacting the U.S. Green Building Council by e-mail or by telephone at 202-828-7422





Porter Industries Earns US Green Building Council LEEDEB Gold Designation 3rd in Region 1st Cleaning Company and 8th Building