Toyota is known for its green reputation, but would you guess that Ann Arbor plays a role in making that reputation a reality?
The world's biggest automaker's Ann Arbor campus (just south of the city) is part of the reason Toyota's manufacturing arm recently won a ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award from the EPA. The Ann Arbor campus, which opened two years ago, also received Gold LEED certification.
"Our priority is always to maximize the building efficiency as much as possible," says Victor Vanov, specialist external affairs for Toyota Manufacturing.
Toyota received the gold certification by redeveloping a brownfield site, which used to be an old mental hospital. It razed the existing building and reused many of the old bricks. It also used nearly 40 percent of the installed recycled materials in the building were from within a 500 mile radius and reduced water use through planting low maintenance landscape and reduced/waterless fixtures.
Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing operations have received 14 Energy Star Plant Awards from the EPA, recognizing each facility's energy performance over the past year and scoring in the top 25 percent of its industry.
The 2010 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, employing innovative approaches, and showing others what can be achieved through energy efficiency.
Source: Victor Vanov, specialist external affairs for Toyota Manufacturing
Writer: Jon Zemke
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