(GREENWICH, Connecticut, November 10, 2005) – Environmentally conscious building design and operational features comprising more than two million square feet of five industrial buildings of Nestle Waters North America have been built to earn LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Today, at the Greenbuild International Conference and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, the U.S. Green Building Council recognized one of those bottling facilities, in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, that achieved LEED Silver Certification in 2004.
The LEED certification is an important recognition of “green building” efforts by businesses that incorporate environmentally beneficial elements into construction projects.
Nestlé Waters North America Inc., the U.S leader in the bottled water industry, is among the first generation of business operations in the U.S. to earn the designation. Its plants are, in fact, the first food and beverage facilities in the U.S. to achieve LEED Certification.
“As environmentally conscious design gains momentum for commercial offices, municipal buildings, schools, retail centers and similar buildings, it is noteworthy to see this trend emerging in the industrial sector as well,” said Christine Ervin, past president & CEO for the U.S. Green Building Council. “The Nestle Waters’ plants are a great example of what businesses can accomplish by promoting superior environmental and economic performance from their own facilities.”
Kim Jeffery, chief executive officer for Nestlé Waters North America, added, “We have great enthusiasm for being at the vanguard of this movement and are proud to be among the outstanding recipients of LEED certification. Looking toward the future, as Nestlé Waters builds several additional water bottling plants over the next five years, we are committed to constructing them in a manner that ‘supports the environment, the employees who work in our facilities and the communities in which we operate.”
Going Green
Nestlé Waters North America stakes the quality of its spring water beverage products on the natural resources of the environment. As Nestlé Waters began plans for its newest factories, it committed to building plants and operational practices that respect the environment today and in the future.
The Ice Mountain facility, which began operations in May 2002, was the company’s first facility to be designed in accordance with LEED protocols. The plant, now employing more than 150 people, produces Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water for consumers in the Midwest.
Subsequently, LEED Certification was awarded to plants in California, Texas and Tennessee, each of which earned a Silver rating.
Nestlé Waters’ in-house team of architects and engineers was charged with developing a plant designed for economic, environmental and social sustainability. “We approach these plants as an opportunity to build a project that reflects the company values,” explained Nghia Tran, design manager for Nestlé “As a company whose business centers on good environmental stewardship, we want to create manufacturing facilities that are consistent with this commitment.”
The primary green consultant on theses projects is the GreenTeam, Inc. of Tulsa, Oklahoma.