A Fort Wayne company is being honored as the first commercial business in Indiana to get a Platinum LEED Certification. The standard recognizes the environmental efforts taken in the construction of Sweetwater Sound's $35 million headquarters. President Chuck Surack says the LEED-based decisions made during construction have proven to be financially sound as well. Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry will also issue a proclamation today marking the music instrument and audio company's 30th anniversary.
Source: Inside INdiana Business
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Press Release
Fort Wayne, IN, June 25, 2009 - Sweetwater, the third-largest music instrument and pro audio retailer in the world, has been awarded LEED? Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum is the USGBC's highest rating for designing and constructing the world's greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performance buildings.
Sweetwater's achievement will be recognized at a special ceremony at Sweetwater's campus, 5501 US HWY 30 W in Fort Wayne, on Friday, June 26, 10:30 A.M.
The award will be presented to Sweetwater Founder and President Chuck Surack by Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry, and Liz Ellis, representative of the Indiana Chapter of the USGBC. Also in attendance will be Deputy Press Secretary Wayne Stanley and Northeast Indiana Regional Director Cathy Gallmeyer from Senator Richard Lugar's office, members of the Fort Wayne City Council and representatives of the Sweetwater project's architects MSKTD and general contractor Corporate Construction.
Mayor Henry will also read and present a mayoral proclamation to recognize Sweetwater's 30th Anniversary.
Sweetwater's $35 million, 150,000 square foot corporate headquarters was completed in January of 2008. It was designed by Fort Wayne architectural firm MSKTD to achieve LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use, as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health, and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design & construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.
Chuck Surack said, "From the very beginning we wanted a green, eco-friendly building. Working with the LEED program, our architectural firm MSKTD, and general contractor Corporate Construction, we implemented a variety of ways to make the Sweetwater campus save energy and reduce its overall impact on the environment. I hope that other businesses will examine what's happened here and think seriously of "going green" as they plan new facilities."
Sweetwater's campus is the only commercial LEED Platinum building in Indiana, and one of fewer than 150 LEED Platinum buildings in the United States.
LEED certification of Sweetwater was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. (These features are defined in the document accompanying this press release.)
"Sweetwater Sound'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 Sweetwater's leadership serves as a prime example of just how much you can accomplish."
An informational video and a complete list of companies involved in the planning, design, and building of Sweetwater's campus can be found at: www.sweetwater/feature/leed.
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About Sweetwater Sound
Sweetwater began business 30 years ago in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is the country's most respected dealer in high-technology equipment for musicians, recording studios, and broadcasters - from microphones and digital recording systems to electric guitars to electronic keyboards and electronic drums. Sweetwater customers range from beginners to rock stars. The company's equipment can be found in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville recording studios, TV and radio stations all across the country, as well as in tens of thousands of home recording studios nationwide. Sweetwater is built on a commitment to the highest level of customer service in the music technology industry. For further information visit www.sweetwater.com.
About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders,universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC's founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.
About LEED®
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemT is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.
For more information, visit www.usgbc.org/LEED.
Source: Sweetwater