ADAIRSVILLE, GA - In a move consistent with the company's commitment to environmental leadership, Beaulieu Commercial has become the first commercial carpet manufacturer to replace 100 percent of the energy used to power its operations with cleaner, sustainable renewable energy.
Designated as a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partners' Leadership Club, Beaulieu Commercial will use green energy to directly power a portion of its manufacturing operations and will offset its remaining energy use through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits, or RECs, from wind power producers throughout the country. Although not required by the EPA, the company's renewable power sources are all third-party certified by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions' Green-E program.
In recent years, Beaulieu Commercial has established itself on the leading edge of corporate environmental stewardship. In addition to its energy conservation and waste management best practices, Beaulieu Commercial includes post-consumer recycled content in 100 percent of its products, and the company's award-winning Nexterra® tile backing is made with 85 percent post-consumer recycled content.
For Beaulieu Commercial president James Lesslie, investing in the larger issue of global climate change was a logical next step for the company. "People don't always realize that in the United States, the largest source of carbon-heavy greenhouse gasses comes, not from automobiles, but from coal-fired electric power plants," he says, noting that these emissions lead to smog and acid rain, and are believed to increase the risk of climate change. "When power from conventional power plants is replaced by renewable energy, the release of potentially harmful carbon dioxide is avoided. Beaulieu Commercial's 2008 green power purchase represents more than 12 million pounds of emissions that won't be going into the atmosphere; that's the equivalent of taking more than 1,200 cars off our roads, and it is the best way for an organization to reduce its carbon footprint."
The company's commitment to green energy entitles Beaulieu Commercial to display the Green-E Certified Renewable Energy logos on all of its products and corporate communications. Beyond its use of post-consumer recycled content and internal recycling programs, Beaulieu Commercial continually searches for ways to help protect the environment by looking for opportunities to lower fossil fuel usage. "Not only are we generating goodwill, pride and loyalty among our employees, we are also differentiating our organization through sustainable management practices while addressing the needs of our customers and our communities," notes Lesslie.
Beaulieu Commercial manufactures and markets stylish, technically superior carpet for all segments of the contract design market under the three registered brands, BOLYU Contract, Cambridge Commercial and Aqua Hospitality. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.beaulieucommercial.com.
