Lockheed Martin Center for Leadership Excellence Earns Prestigious Green Building Certification

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lockheed Martin Center for Leadership Excellence has earned the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® Silver certification. The USGBC's Green Building Rating System™, is an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.

The CLE— a 300,000-square-foot conference center and lodging facility located adjacent to Corporate Headquarters in Bethesda, Md., — supports company training courses, business meetings and conferences. The center includes a 250-seat amphitheater, eight large training rooms, 18 conference rooms, a full service restaurant and a fitness center for employees.

The center, which opened March 2009, was designed, built and now operates with environmental efficiency. Some of these features include:

• Compacting, composting and recycling systems divert more than 90 percent of the site's waste stream from landfills.
• Low-flow plumbing reduces water use by about 43 percent.
• Construction products contained 23 percent recycled materials.
• 100 percent of the site's paints, sealants and adhesives are low-emitting and contribute to better air quality.
• Reflective roofing reduces heat emittance.
• More than 5,000 energy efficient light bulbs reduce energy consumption.
• Energy savings from the CLE avoids over 318 metric tons of carbon per year.
• Green cleaning products and green linens reduce the facility's operational impact.
• Reserved parking for energy efficient cars encourages employee green behavior.

"The green design, construction and operations of our Center for Leadership Excellence is a true testament to the Corporation's environmental commitment and just one of many green projects we have underway," said Dr. David Constable, Lockheed Martin's Vice President of Energy, Environment, Safety and Health. "At Lockheed Martin, protecting the environment and the health and well-being of employees, neighbors and customers is of paramount importance."

Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of the USGBC, added, "Lockheed Martin's most recent LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership. The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Lockheed Martin serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."

The CLE is Lockheed Martin's eleventh LEED certified building. In addition, the Corporation's Curie Court facility in Rockville, Md. and the Democracy-One site in Bethesda, Md., were recently awarded LEED Gold and Silver certifications respectively. An additional 17 buildings have been registered for various levels of the certification with the USGBC.

Lockheed Martin's comprehensive Go Green program improves energy efficiency and reductions in waste generation and water usage. The Corporation's long-term absolute reduction goals through 2012 are to reduce carbon emissions, waste to landfill and water usage — each by 25 percent, based on 2007 performance metrics.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2009 sales of $ 45.2 billion.

Learn more about Lockheed Martin's Go Green Program at http://www.lockheedmartin.com/aboutus/energy_environment/going-green.html

SOURCE Lockheed Martin