In 2005, Loram decided it was time to upgrade and expand its headquarters, and seized the expansion as an opportunity to develop a green facility. Their desire was encouraged by three main goals:
- Promote Sustainability
- Attract & Retain Employees
- Decrease Operating Costs
Following a successful planning, design, and construction process, the project was certified LEED® Silver in January 2010 by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Working with Loram and the rest of the team, Pope Associates guided the project through the LEED certification process, following six main categories:
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy & Atmosphere
- Materials & Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Innovation & Design Process
By using less energy and water, LEED certified building save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
“Loram’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Loram serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish.”
U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 100,000 LEED Accredited Professionals, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to soar to $60 billion by 2010. The USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.
Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system is the preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. 35,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED system, comprising over 5.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 91 countries. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for
residents, workers and the larger community.
USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation.
For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
For more detail on Loram’s LEED certification visit us at www.loram.com/environment.
Since 1954, Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc. has been providing railroad maintenance equipment and services that consistently exceed our customers’ expectations in terms of Speed, Performance, and Reliability. Loram machines are both sold and leased, but our company's reputation rests on our performance as a contractor offering a wide range of track maintenance services to freight, passenger, and transit railroads. Loram’s product offerings include: production and specialty rail grinding, ditch cleaning, shoulder ballast cleaning, undercutting, spot undercutting utilizing our Railvac, rail handling, and data services.