Perdue Farms Awarded LEED® Platinum Green Building Certification for Renovation of Corporate Offices

SALISBURY, Md., Aug. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Perdue Farms announced that it has received Platinum certification – the highest possible ranking – for the renovation of its corporate office building from the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) green building certification program.

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The completion of a four-year, $10.5 million, renovation of the 94,000-square-foot building makes the Perdue headquarters the first USGBC LEED Platinum building on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and one of fewer than 20 LEED Platinum-certified commercial projects in the state.

"By earning this LEED Platinum certification and for working with Maryland to restore the Chesapeake, Perdue Farms has demonstrated their commitment to building a better, more sustainable Maryland," said Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, during a ceremony on August 14 at Perdue's corporate headquarters. "With 570 employees at their headquarters — and 1,600 throughout the Eastern Shore — Perdue has been an important partner in the effort to grow Maryland's economy. I look forward to continuing our work with them to create jobs, expand economic opportunities to our local farmers and protect our state's natural resources."

"Through the years at Perdue, we've built a program of protecting and preserving the environment through such projects as Perdue AgriRecycle, the first large-scale litter recycling operation, investments in our state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facilities, and reformulation of products and processes to reduce waste streams," said Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms. "Now having LEED Platinum certification of our corporate offices helps underscore our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility."

LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human health and environmental impact, such as sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

As Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, explains, "Perdue Farms' LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership. The urgency of USGBC's mission has challenged the (building) industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Perdue serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."

Al Todd, executive director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, recognizes Perdue's LEED certification of its corporate offices as "one more example of where Perdue has chosen to be a trendsetter in their industry."

"The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is focused on building partnerships to solve problems facing the Bay," said Todd.  "We work with all who have a passion for improving the environment, including businesses, and Perdue has been a key partner for many years.  The people at Perdue recognize there is much more to be done to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay, but they are a company that works to demonstrate their commitment."

The result of Perdue's corporate office remodel is an environment that incorporates technologies and methodologies that deliver a smaller environmental footprint.

"LEED Platinum certification of the remodeled corporate offices reflects our corporate responsibility platform of 'we believe in responsible food and agriculture,' and conveys to all of our constituents an image consistent with our values, vision and aspirations," said Steve Schwalb, vice president of environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility. "We're proud to join the other Platinum-certified organizations in Maryland, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Robinson Nature Center, whose LEED-certified buildings reflect our mutual dedication to resource restoration and environmental protection and preservation.

"We were able to renovate the corporate office to meet our needs for years to come versus expanding the existing structure or build new offices. It reflects our commitment to environmental and fiscal responsibility," said Schwalb.

Aspects of the corporate office that earned LEED recognition include:

• Reused 99.6 percent of existing building envelope
• Diverted 97 percent – 631 tons – of construction waste from landfill
• 42.3 percent water reduction through low-flow plumbing fixtures
• Reused 12.7 percent of total resources
• 24.3 percent of materials content manufactured using recycled materials
• 40.1 percent of building materials manufactured within 500 miles
• 72.8 percent of wood-based products harvested from Forest Stewardship Council certified forests
• Up to 95 percent of the energy demand for the Corporate Office is generated by the solar field during occupied daytime hours and, on average, the solar field supplies up to 40 percent of the total energy demand (daytime and nighttime hours combined).
• Integrated carbon dioxide sensors and rooftop fresh air handlers help exceed minimum air quality standards by 30 percent (Source: American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers)
• Nearly 40 percent reduction in utility demand through energy efficient HVAC, lighting and on-demand hot water heaters.
• Bicycle racks encourage alternative transportation
• Preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles
• Pervious patio pavers prevent storm water runoff

To learn more about the Perdue LEED Platinum-certified corporate office or Perdue's first Corporate Responsibility Report, visit www.perduefarms.com.

SOURCE Perdue Farms