Green Advantage in the News

“Builders Get Their Own Shade of Green Certification”

Earlier this year design-build contractor GeoStructures, which engineers earth structures and foundations, hosted a one-day Green Advantage training course for its staff and several builders. Shana Opdyke, P.E., LEED AP, who earned Green Advantage certification and serves as the mid-Atlantic regional sales engineer for GeoStructures, Inc., wrote an article on her Green Advantage training for the online, ConstructionBusinessOwner.com.

Shana hones in on the element of competition that is now pervading the green building field. She notes, “Construction projects are increasingly being bid with requirements for sustainability, and this is leading many builders to strive for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits, the rating system for high-performance, sustainable buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.”

Shana plugs Green Advantage, stating that “for developers, architects, engineers, designers, contractors and trades people, the Green Advantage program is more construction specific. This green certification complements and supports LEED accreditation and offers immediate and long-term benefits.”

Some highlights:

“According to Liz Boastfield, assistant director of sales and marketing at Green Advantage, there is a flip side to getting the [LEED Innovation and Design] credit.

'Feedback has been that it's great to get the LEED credit, but builders found that input from a Green Advantage-certified team resulted in not losing other LEED points they thought they had, so having a workforce informed on green building issues has many benefits.' ”

And more in the article:

“For some builders, the benefits of Green Advantage go well beyond LEED. After learning more about the positive outcomes of sustainability, they become eager to implement the green practices that add another common purpose to a project and help team-building efforts.”

Read more

Green Advantage instructor cited as Top Leader Under 40

On May 1, 2009, the Triangle Business Journal presented awards recognizing the accomplishments of the region's young business leaders, including Jim Bell of Bobbit Design Build. Jim Bell is a senior project developer at Bobbitt, the Carolinas’ largest contractor utilizing the design/build concept, which provides control of architectural design, engineering, permitting and construction services under one roof. He is a certified Green Advantage® instructor.

Congratulations to Jim!

Read more at: www.bobbitt.com/news.html#bellunder40