Non-Profit Credits Facility as Ohio's First Green Globes™ Verified Building
MIAMISBURG, OH. (October 10, 2007) – The NewPage Corporation celebrated a sustainable construction milestone today, when its new corporate headquarters became the first building in the state of Ohio to achieve a Green Globes verification from the Green Building Initiative's (GBI) environmental assessment and rating system for commercial structures.
GBI President Ward Hubbell presented NewPage company leaders and its design team with a plaque recognizing the building's rating of three Green Globes at a special dedication ceremony. The NewPage building was recognized for, among other things, the minimization of harmful air emissions, its use of energy and water conservation strategies, the integration of recycled materials and its project management practices.
“The NewPage Corporate Headquarters is a perfect example of a project that combines the innovation of environmental design with the functionality of an office space." said Hubbell. "This building represents an ideal balance of the benefits of an energy-efficient structure and a healthier and more inviting workplace for employees while being environmentally sound. It also reinforces the fact that green building is appropriate and attainable for all types of structures."
Green Globes for new construction was adapted from a system that is widely used in Canada, where it is one of only two green building rating systems recognized by the Canadian federal government. Under the trade name Go Green Comprehensive, it is also the basis of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada's national energy and environmental program for existing buildings.
The 75,000-square-foot building accommodates approximately 350 employees of NewPage Corporation, a leading U.S. producer of coated papers. It is home to NewPage's executive offices as well as the company's information technology, customer support, finance marketing, order management, communications and human resources departments.
NewPage Corporate Headquarters
“As a company reliant on renewable resources, we are committed to sustainability,” said NewPage Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mark A. Suwyn. “We chose to use the Green Globes system to design and construct our new headquarters because it helps us provide a healthy working environment to our employees while also reducing our impact on the environment and the surrounding community.”
The Green Globes assessment and rating process was completed cooperatively by a design team from PTD, a Cincinnati-based architecture firm; mechanical engineers from Mechanical Systems of Dayton; electrical engineers from Beacon Electrical Contractors; and structural engineers from Smith/Roberts & Associates. The rating was then verified by a third-party building science expert who reviewed the construction documents and conducted an on-site inspection.
“The Green Globes system offers a number of advantages that make it perfect for corporate projects like the NewPage Headquarters,” said Hubbell. “It's Web-based, easy to use and cost effective. Because the rating system is third-party verified, a Green Globes rating gives progressive corporations such as NewPage a platform on which to demonstrate its commitment to the environment.”
The NewPage Corporate headquarters building is just one of the buildings that have recently completed the Green Globes verification process in the United States. Others include: Blakely Hall in Issaquah, Wash.; the Pfizer Inc. Clinical Research Unit in New Haven, Conn.; the RenewAire, LLC corporate headquarters in Madison, Wis.; the Clinton Library and Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Headquarters in Little Rock, Ark., the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter in Fairfax, Va. and the Summit County Materials Recycling Facility in Summit County, Colo.
For more information about the GBI or Green Globes, visit www.thegbi.org.
ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE: The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org.
ABOUT NEWPAGE CORPORATION: NewPage Corporation, headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, is a leading U.S. producer of coated papers in North America. The company produces coated papers in sheets and rolls with many finishes and weights to offer design flexibility for a wide array of end uses. With more than 4,300 employees, NewPage operates integrated pulp and paper manufacturing mills located in Escanaba, Michigan; Luke, Maryland; Rumford, Maine; and Wickliffe, Kentucky; and a converting and distribution center in Chillicothe, Ohio. The mills have a combined annual capacity of approximately 2.2 million tons of coated paper.
Contact:
Mike Gehrig
(312) 988-2065
mgehrig@thegbi.org
