RUPPERT EXPANDS ITS GREEN KNOWLEDGE WITH NEW LEED HEADQUARTERS

March 2008

Laytonsville, MD –Since beginning in the landscape industry over 30 years ago, Ruppert has been consistently making a positive impact on the environment. The company has planted approximately one million trees and shrubs since its inception and has 475 acres of wholesale tree nursery in Montgomery County, Maryland, growing 70,000 trees to be sold along the East Coast. The company is not new to the green movement, which is continually gaining momentum, as it’s simply the nature of the business. What is new, however, is that the company is using its resources proactively to make more of an impact on the green initiative by constructing a LEED-certified corporate headquarter campus in Laytonsville, Maryland.

The LEED rating (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a nationally accepted benchmark of the U.S. Green Building Council for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Ruppert is seeking LEED-NC 2.2 basic certification on its two office buildings and platinum level certification, which is the highest rating available, on its soon-to-be-constructed vehicle/equipment shop. Currently there are relatively few basic certified buildings in the Washington/Baltimore metropolitan area, and even fewer platinum level sites.  Certification is awarded following completion of construction and providing the registration requirements have been met or exceeded.

There are five key areas of measurement for a building to be certified as green:  site sustainability; water efficiency; energy use and savings; materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. “There are so many details that go into building green,” says Dean Rasco, project manager at Ruppert Properties, the developer of the project and one of the Ruppert companies. “Depending on the certification level you seek, it’s about everything from the percentage and type of daylight utilized to the type of materials you use to how your employees get to work and how you recycle your waste. We’re meeting our requirements using hybrid vehicles and offering alternative transportation; re-capturing rainwater; installing a green roof; using low-flow plumbing; installing an HVAC system that regulates humidity to heat or cool as necessary; using low-emitting materials in all sealants, paints and carpeting; controlling our lighting with motion detectors; and using alternate fuels, such as internally-generated waste oil and renewable energy sources such as solar power; and – still under investigation – wind power.”

“If you visit our construction site, the one thing you’ll notice is its cleanliness,” says Rasco. “In order to build green, the site has to be tightly sealed. More than 75% of our construction waste is diverted from landfills to be recycled and removed from the site as quickly as the dumpsters fill. Part of building green is also using as much regional material as possible. This may cost more in the short run, but creates value considering the environmental effects of reduced fuel use, not to mention the positive effects on the local economy.”

Partially hidden from view by creative landscape grading, the campus will house the company’s corporate offices (11,900 SF) and two of Ruppert Nurseries’ local landscape and landscape management branches (7,600 SF). Also key to the site is the Allnut House, listed on the Montgomery County historic register. “Although the Allnut House is not going to be certified as green,” says Bill Meissner, president of Ruppert Properties and project developer “We are using the same green construction practices in the renovation of that building. While paying strict attention toward the historic stewardship of the house, we are also upgrading the house’s systems in order to be energy efficient and as green as possible.”

The campus will support Ruppert Companies, which consists of Ruppert Nurseries and Ruppert Properties. Ruppert Properties specializes in light/industrial warehouse development and redevelopment throughout the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan region Ruppert Nurseries performs commercial landscape construction, landscape management and grows large-caliper trees. The 16-acre campus is surrounded by 160 acres of Ruppert Nurseries’ trees in a Montgomery County agricultural preservation zone.

Craig Ruppert, president of Ruppert Companies, acknowledges that going green has many benefits for the company as a whole. “In addition to the obvious environmental impact, we believe that our new green headquarters will help increase our productivity by making our employees happier and healthier in the long run. Doing something that makes your employees say that they’re proud to work here really has an immeasurable impact on morale.”

“Both Ruppert Nurseries and Ruppert Properties have compelling reasons for building green,” explains Meissner. “As a responsible landscape contractor and developer, we need to fully understand the construction and development of buildings and their impact on the environment so we can assist our customers, who rely on us for this sort of knowledge.”

The impact of this project, Meissner hopes, will extend beyond the company and into the community. “We’ve designed a large training/meeting room into the branch building that can be used for more than just Ruppert functions. This should be a place that the community is proud of and which local clubs and groups may utilize for special events.”

The facilities are scheduled for a late summer completion. Other members of the design and construction team include: Morgan Keller Construction (Frederick, MD), ASG (LEED consultant) (Jessup, MD); MUSE Architects (Bethesda, MD); EBL Engineers, LLC ( McLean, VA); Benning & Associates (Gaithersburg, MD), Rodgers Consulting (Germantown, MD) and EMO Energy Solutions (Falls Church,VA).

Ruppert Properties specializes in light industrial/warehouse development and redevelopment throughout the metropolitan region. Ruppert Nurseries, Inc. provides commercial landscape installation and landscape management services in the mid-Atlantic regions and includes ten branches in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Georgia. The company also operates a 475-acre wholesale tree nursery in Montgomery County, Md.