Firestone Complete Auto Care™ Store Awarded Gold LEED-Certification Store is automotive service provider's innovative new auto care option
BLOOMINGDALE, Ill. (December 9, 2009) - Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC (BSRO) announced today that its Firestone Complete Auto Care™ store in Smyrna, Tenn. has been awarded Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council‟s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
“We are incredibly proud that Firestone Complete Auto Care has met this highly-coveted standard for environmental excellence,” said Larry Magee, Chairman, CEO and President of BSRO. “This places BSRO not only among leaders in the automotive industry, but also among an elite group of retailers who are undertaking exciting new green alternatives.”
The store, which opened in June, incorporates a range of earth-friendly features, including improved indoor air quality from the use of low-VOC paints, stains, carpets and sealants; ultra low-flow fixtures that will reduce water consumption by 30%; solar panels that generate 12.5% of the building's electricity; a reflective metal roof that lowers heating and cooling costs; sidewalks using recycled rubber from tires; and landscaping that doesn‟t need a sprinkler system, thanks to the use of 100% recycled rubber tire mulch and native and drought tolerant plant species.
“The green building movement offers an unprecedented opportunity to respond to the most important challenges of our time, including global climate change, dependence on non-sustainable and expensive sources of energy and threats to human health,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “The work of innovative building projects such as the Firestone Complete Auto Care™ store is a fundamental driving force in the green building movement.”
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED-certified buildings meet a long list of environmental criteria that are verified by independent inspectors before the building can be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“As more and more consumers incorporate 'going green' into their lifestyles, businesses must act accordingly,” Magee added. “This is another great example of the work BSRO is doing to help protect the environment.”
BSRO has recently announced several new environmental initiatives. The company was the first of the major chains in the automotive repair industry to announce the move to steel wheel weights instead of traditional lead weights. Firestone Complete Auto Care also offers a “green” oil change service utilizing a recycled and refined oil product in the Portland, Ore. store location. Also, the Automotive Service Association of Arizona has named five Firestone Complete Auto Care store locations in that state as “green shops” through its Green Business Automotive Program. And, Minnesota's Tires Plus™ store locations were recently certified as “Green Star” automotive service providers through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's voluntary Environmental Audit Program.
About Firestone Complete Auto Care:
Firestone Complete Auto Care™ is owned and operated by BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC). Firestone Complete Auto Care is a leading retailer for passenger and light truck tires, where technicians perform repairs, routine maintenance and a variety of diagnostic services covering major systems within a vehicle. With locations throughout the United States, Firestone Complete Auto Care offers competitive prices on a large selection of brand name tires. To learn more about tires, vehicle maintenance, career opportunities or Firestone Complete Auto Care locations, visit www.FirestoneCompleteAutoCare.com or call 1-800-LOCATE-US.
About Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC:
Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC (BSRO) is headquartered in Bloomingdale, Ill., and operates the largest network of company-owned automotive service providers in the world — more than 2,000 tire and vehicle service centers across the United States — including Firestone Complete Auto Care™, Tires Plus™, ExpertTire™ and Wheel Works™ store locations. Credit First National Association and Firestone Complete Fleet Care™ operations are also part of BSRO. BSRO is a member of the Bridgestone Americas family of companies.
About 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 131,000 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.