Page 7 - Mission Linen - Green from the word "GO"

MISSION SUSTAINABILITY
With California’s pro-environmental fo- cus, so it’s hardly surprising that a new plant built in the San Francisco Bay Area would set a high standard for “green” operations. This emphasis on conserva- tion also has played a key role Mission Linen’s history, going back at least to the early ’70s when the company helped pi- oneer wastewater-treatment systems for industrial laundries nationwide.
In a sense, Mission’s Newark plant echoes those trailblazing innovations by tak- ing green operations beyond the routine measures. In fact, Mission Newark goes further by seamlessly combining sustain- ability and efficiency. This plant reflects a multifaceted approach to sustainability, from “smart” production equipment, to heat/water reuse and recovery, alterna- tive-fuel vehicles, solar power and more.
Couple that emphasis with Mission’s comprehensive approach to incident pre- vention and its robust recruitment/
retention program, and you’ve got an op- eration that’s making headway in the hu- man resources arena as well. This helps boost sustainable growth by tackling staff shortages and morale issues. Bottom line? If you tried to envision a modern, highly efficient sustainable laundry oper- ation, it probably would look something like this plant in Northern California. TS
JACK MORGAN is senior editor of
Textile Services. Contact him at 877.770.9274 or jmorgan@trsa.org.
Q&A: What Does It Take to Open a LEED-Certified Laundry
Mission Linen Supply’s new plant in Newark, CA, is nearing completion of its certification with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, a rigorous program for companies seeking maximum sustainability in terms of energy and water efficiency, waste-management practices and much more. Only a small number of U.S. laundries have earned this distinction. Below, Mark Saposnik, environmental compliance engineer for Mission Linen, answers questions about the issues involved in meeting the requirements for the LEED rating system.
What’s the biggest engineering challenge that the Mission team experienced in pursuing LEED- certification requirements for the Newark plant?
The biggest challenge is keeping the contractors on task for meeting the LEED requirements. There is a fairly significant amount of design work and tracking required for LEED certification, and with a large project such as this, the main focus is on meeting timelines and budgets for construction. LEED naturally takes a second seat to the more important aspects of the project.
Will the energy and water savings alone generate ROI on LEED? If so, what’s the time frame?
I imagine so, but we did not look at LEED this way. The energy and water savings are something we do anyway based on the ROI of each individual project. Some of the code requirements for this project were such that we would generate LEED points, so our thought was that if we are doing all of these things anyway, why not get credit for it?
In terms of generating ROI, how big a factor is the marketing value of LEED certification?
That remains to be seen. I know that we are located in an area that has an extremely high level of environmental awareness and it is good to let the people in the community know that we are good neighbors.
Would you recommend LEED building to other companies, particularly independents? Why or why not?
It would depend on the geographical location. In many areas there would not be any marketable value to certification and in terms of employee working conditions and energy efficiency, these are things that can be done with or without LEED certification.
Would Mission consider doing other LEED- certified plants in California or other states?
Once again, that would depend on the geographical location.
Did Mission take advantage of any grants or incentives associated with LEED certification to help defray the costs of the program?
There are not any grants or incentives directly tied to LEED that I know of, but we did take advantage of incentives offered by the utility company for energy efficiency. There were incentives for the lighting system, waste-heat recovery equipment, variable speed drives and water-recycling equipment, to name a few.
30 Textile SERVICES § June 2018
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