REI: a building based on a philosophy
Building a LEED-certified warehouse is not as hard as many people think, according to Chris Joyce, director of REI’s eastern region DC — a 525,000-square-foot, LEED-certified building in Bedford, Pa., from which the company ships $2 million of product daily. “The fun part about LEED construction is that it sets you up for efficient operations down the road,” Joyce explains, noting that the construction phase was just the beginning of sustainability strategies for the Bedford facility, which was opened in 2007 and supports nearly 48 percent of the company’s direct-to-consumer sales and 40 percent of total retail sales.
REI used construction materials such