Enterprise in Your Community
ReSource St. Louis, Enterprise Help Drive "Green" Business Practices
Story by Meghan Maguire: Senior Writer, Employee Communications
When office chairs arrive at the new Weldon Spring facility next year, they will be wrapped in blankets — not boxes — thanks to a packaging materials program that Enterprise established with Haworth Furniture Manufacturing. This "green" relationship is just one of the many business practices encouraged by ReSource St. Louis, a coalition of local businesses committed to construction and operational processes that support and promote conscientious management of the built environment.
ReSource St. Louis, formerly St. Louis Sustainable Buildings Co-op, was founded in 2003 when Enterprise's Director of Space Planning and Design, David Bertorelli, and Director of Facilities, John Prater, discovered that ceiling-tile manufacturer would pick up 30,000 square feet of old tile and recycle it at no charge. They formed the co-op as a means to coordinate with other companies to accumulate amounts of materials that recycling manufacturers are willing to collect.
ReSource St. Louis became incorporated earlier this year as a nonprofit and, with the help Assistant Vice President of Corporate Accounting Mark Burgess, is applying for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. David, who has served as president of the organization for three years says that Enterprise's support for ReSource St. Louis is another example of the company's commitment to the community.
"By reducing the impact that our buildings and construction make on the environment, we are helping to enhance our local community," says David.
And to help make it easier for local companies to reduce, recycle, and reuse construction materials, ReSource St. Louis launched its Web site at a gala event, on July 27 in the Lindberg Auditorium of Bldg. 2. Enterprise sponsored the event along with seven other organizations, including well-known local firms, such as Alberici Construction, HOK, and Tao & Associates Engineering, as well as the St. Louis County Health Department.
"The site will provide architects, engineers, general contractors, real estate and facility professionals, and other related industries with a means to exchange or recycle construction 'waste,' furniture, and other materials with the focus of diverting these materials away from local landfills," says David. "It will also serve as a resource for building professionals to learn more about sustainable initiatives and strategies as they relate to the built environment."
The launch of the site was well attended by industry professionals and organizations advocating "green" building practices in St. Louis construction. For Emily Andrews, coordinator of the St. Louis Regional Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, the ReSource St. Louis Web site represents an important step in the right direction.
"This Web site makes it easier for companies to make the right and responsible decision to help protect the environment," Emily said, addressing the evening's attendees. "It is exciting to see so many local corporations embracing this effort."
For more information about ReSource St. Louis, log on to http://www.resourcestlouis.org.
