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Bridgestone Firestone recently began construction on a LEED-certifiable auto repair/retail store about 15 miles southeast of Nashville, Tenn., in the town of Smyrna.
Slated to open in mid-2009, the Firestone Complete Auto Care location will seek certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
LEED-certified buildings meet a long list of environmental standards that are verified by independent inspectors before the building can be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. Some of the criteria of LEED certification include employing more environmentally friendly construction methods to create buildings that use less electricity and water and that have a decreased effect on the environment when compared to buildings constructed through conventional methods.
“Customers today expect businesses to behave responsibly, and the business case for going green is strong,” says Larry Magee, chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Firestone Retail & Commercial Operations.
“LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for environmental excellence, and we are incredibly proud that Firestone Complete Auto Care is pursuing this standard,” he reports. “This project places (us) not only among leaders in the automotive industry, but among a select group of other visionary retailers who are constructing LEED buildings around the nation.”
The company debuted several new environmental initiatives over the past year. Its store locations began using non-toxic steel wheel weights instead of traditional lead weights; it was the first of the major chains in the auto repair industry to announce the move to steel wheel weights, he says.
The company now offers a “green” oil change service utilizing a recycled oil product at Portland, Ore., and Boston store locations. Also, the Automotive Service Association of Arizona just named five Firestone locations in that state as “green shops” through its Green Business Automotive Program.
“This is another great example of the work (the company) is doing to help protect the environment,” Magee added. “This LEED-certifiable location will let us give our customers what they want: high-quality automotive service and an exciting new green alternative.”
For more information, visit www.bridgestone-firestone.com.
