The First Facility Management Blog

The commercial carpet manufacturer will now use renewable energy to power 100% of its operations. The company will use renewable, “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 (RECs) from wind power producers throughout the country.

Located is Adairsville, GA, Beaulieu Commercial is designated as a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partners’ Leadership Club. Although not required by the EPA, the company’s renewable power sources are all third-party certified by the non-profit 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% of its products. And the company’s Nexterra® tile backing contains 85% 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 U.S., 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,” continues Lesslie. “Beaulieu Commercial’s 2008 green power purchase represents over 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.”

This commitment to green energy entitles Beaulieu Commercial to display the Green-E Certified Renewable Energy logos on all of its products and corporate communications.

About Beaulieu Commercial
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.