McCarthy Gives Green Building a Boost by Adding the LEED AP BD+C Specialty Credential Company-wide

May 19, 2011 - PRLog -- St. Louis (May 19, 2011) – McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., one of the nation’s top green commercial builders, has completed the task of getting all of its current LEED Accredited Professionals (AP) to acquire the new specialty accreditation LEED AP BD+C (building design and construction). McCarthy is the largest contractor to date to complete such a significant acquisition through the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), confirming the builder’s commitment to the new Credentialing Maintenance Program. Credential maintenance is the continuing education completed by LEED Professionals to maintain current knowledge of green building practices and LEED in a constantly evolving industry. Because of McCarthy’s encouragement, approximately 400 of their employees now hold the new LEED AP BD+C credential.

“McCarthy’s commitment to providing its staff with the preeminent designation for professionals — the LEED AP BD+C — shows leadership and a steadfast commitment to transforming the built environment,” said Beth Holst, vice president, GBCI. “Earning a LEED Credential demonstrates a comprehensive and current knowledge of green building technologies and best practices, and is a mark of excellence for green building professionals in the marketplace.”

Over the next two years, all McCarthy LEED AP’s will complete the required 30 hours of training through the McCarthy Green Curriculum to maintain the new credential. Existing green training programs typically focus on design issues. The McCarthy Green Curriculum is unique, presented from the builder’s perspective. This curriculum focuses on what McCarthy and the building team can do during design, construction and operations to have a positive impact on the sustainability of the project.

In addition to employee training, McCarthy’s commitment to sustainability requires continual review of day-to-day operations affecting the environment to look for different ways to do the same or more, while reducing the environmental impact. McCarthy has also implemented the following:

Policies – McCarthy has established office, field, wellness and transportation policies to track and reduce the firm’s impact on the environment. These include use of recycled materials and improving fleet efficiency every year.

Carbon Footprint –McCarthy has adopted a carbon footprint methodology, established a company baseline and is working towards a 5% reduction over the next five years.

Leadership – In addition to sustainable leadership at the national level, each McCarthy project has an identified sustainability leader and champion.

“Green building techniques and materials are being incorporated into every one of our projects today, and clients and partners need a builder they can count on,” explained McCarthy Vice President, Quality and Sustainability Chad Dorgan. “The GBCI program provides a consistent framework for our industry and at the same time provides owners with a green standard they can trust. By upgrading all of our employees, we are providing this same level of consistency for all clients nationwide.”

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About McCarthy

McCarthy (http://www.mccarthy.com) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest privately held commercial construction companies. More than a decade ago, McCarthy formalized a national in-house green knowledge network to capture and build upon the best green practices across the country. Today, the McCarthy Green Team is comprised of approximately 400 USGBC LEED Accredited Professionals (ranking the company in the top 10 for LEED AP’s by Building Design and Construction and among the nation’s Top 20 Green Construction Companies in America by Engineering News-Record). The firm’s resumé of sustainable projects (http://www.mccarthy.com/about/green) is valued at over $6 billion. Nationally recognized on the Training 125 list for the firm’s outstanding employee training and development programs, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.