BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR), the world's largest manufacturer of home appliances, announced that the first building constructed on the company's new Riverview Campus in Benton Harbor, Mich. has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. Platinum is the highest LEED recognition level achievable and highlights how the new campus has allowed the company to deliver on its goals of improvements in productivity, operations, energy efficiency and overall employee experience, all in an eco-friendly manner.
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The Riverview Campus was built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:
Sustainable site development
Water savings
Energy efficiency
Materials selection
Indoor environmental quality
This new facility will save more than 147 thousand gallons of interior water and 16,000 million BTUs of energy annually. Ninety five percent of all demolition and construction waste was diverted from landfills through efforts to recycle and reuse materials, keeping nearly 15,000 tons of construction waste out of landfills. The open design of the office allows for maximum optimization of natural day light and access to views not only of the campus outside but also a nearby river. Additionally, the campus was designed to encourage use of alternative transportation methods, and ten low-emitting and/or fuel efficient vehicles can be charged at electric charging stations onsite.
"Whirlpool has been focused on making a positive impact in our communities since the company was founded more than 100 years ago," said Lee Utke, Senior Director, Global Corporate Real Estate at Whirlpool Corp. "With this project, we are able to not only honor that commitment, but also remain at the forefront of sustainability efforts within the industry."
Whirlpool also made significant efforts to think local with the construction of the Riverview Campus. More than 90 percent of the project's subcontracts were awarded to Michigan companies, 75 percent to Southwest Michigan companies and 10 percent to local companies. Additionally, regional materials extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the project site totaled more than 56 percent of the total cost of materials.
Throughout the development, Whirlpool partnered with the Pizzuti Companies, a Columbus, Ohio-based developer with a long history of incorporating sustainable building practices in each of its developments, including multiple facilities built on behalf of Whirlpool at locations throughout the country. Though this project was initially designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, through the development process Whirlpool and Pizzuti were able to identify and incorporate additional measures that helped elevate the project to Platinum certification.
"Building 'green' isn't always the easiest route to take, but it's an important part of being a responsible steward of the environment," said Joel S. Pizzuti, President of The Pizzuti Companies. "Pizzuti associates and the entire project team worked closely with Whirlpool throughout design and construction to deliver a highly efficient, environmentally friendly building that will serve as a model for sustainable development for years to come."
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system providing third party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. The LEED rating system offers four certification levels for new construction – Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The certification was established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).
About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $18 billion in 2012, 68,000 employees, and 65 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.
SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation
