ST. LOUIS, MO – Enterprise Fleet Services earned a Silver designation for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the United States Green Building Council for its new 29,087-square-foot Operations Center. Located in Maplewood, Mo. (St. Louis County), the environmentally friendly facility, which was completed last fall, also is one of the first projects to qualify for the Green Building Council’s new Commercial Interiors (CI) category for leased space. The LEED program evaluates environmental performance from a “whole building” perspective, providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a “green building.” Using a voluntary, market-driven rating system, LEED is based on accepted energy and environmental principles. It strikes a balance between known effective practices and emerging concepts. Winning the Silver LEED certification means Enterprise earned a minimum of 27 credits out of a total of 36 possible for building materials, construction waste management, energy efficiency, existing building rehabilitation, landscaping/exterior design, occupant recycling, equipment operation and maintenance facilities, ozone depletion/CFCs, siting, transportation, water conservation and water quality. “We are very pleased that the Enterprise Fleet Services’ Operations Center expansion project is the first instance when a fleet management company has earned LEED certification,” said Steve Bloom, senior vice president for Enterprise Fleet Services. “But, the true beneficiaries are our employees who are enjoying the advantages of a more comfortable and energy efficient work space.” The new Operations Center houses several business areas, including the National Service Department, New Vehicle Acquisition, Claims Management, and Business Management. Construction work included retrofitting a 50-year-old, pre-existing, two-story warehouse with a steel and glass facade. To minimize construction waste and maximize flexibility, Enterprise selected SMED Construction Solutions as its interior building standard. This included raised flooring, movable walls, and zoned plug-and-play data and electrical. In addition, an under-floor HVAC distribution system is designed to lower utility requirements and provide better indoor air quality for employees. The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s leading coalition of corporations, builders, universities, federal and local agencies, and nonprofit organizations working together to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Greenbuild as well as the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System are programs of the USGBC. For more information on the USGBC, visit www.usgbc.org/.