PUMA North America achieves LEED Platinum certification at Destiny USA

The PUMA Store at Destiny USA was formally recognized by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as LEED Platinum. This certification is the first LEED certification for PUMA worldwide and the first Platinum level certification at Destiny USA. PUMA, the fastest sport brand in the world, is known for their early adoption of sustainable practices in the industry and worked collaboratively with several key partners to achieve this milestone certification. Colkitt & Co. served as the architectural firm and Complete Construction Company served as the general contractor. KLH led the engineering effort. Lighting consultation was in partnership with Jim Schmidt at Nel Company, and Exclusive Retail Interiors served as PUMA's partner with fixtures. The LEED certification effort was led by Bergmann Associates. LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a program administered by the USGBC that provides third-party verification of sustainably built buildings. Destiny USA's 1.3 million s/f expansion received LEED Gold certification in February 2012, making it the largest LEED Gold certified commercial building in the world. PUMA is one of 51 spaces within the facility that has earned LEED certification, and the first to achieve Platinum. "This is quite an achievement for the facility and we're thrilled PUMA went above and beyond to accomplish Platinum certification from the USGBC," Sara Wallace, director of marketing of Destiny USA, said. "They were invested in this from the beginning and their success really showcases the hard work they put in to attain this. They're an excellent addition to our expansion." "The PUMA project showed how a dedicated team consisting of the owner, designers, contractors, and Destiny USA can create a truly high performance, sustainable project," said Charles Bertuch, P.E., Bergmann's energy group leader. "As a LEED Platinum project, the store will provide an improved environment for customers and staff, reduce operating costs, and result in a lower the impact of the environment." To obtain Platinum certification, PUMA received recognition for several initiatives including high-efficiency LED lighting, bamboo shelving, energy efficient HVAC system, and utilizing locally manufactured materials, thus decreasing fuel costs. As part of PUMA's certification, PUMA worked closely with their partners to achieve key goals including: * Optimal Energy Performance with over 40% below typical lighting usage in a retail environment * More than 20% of build created from recycled content * Use of low emitting materials for all adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings * Locally sourced materials, decreasing our carbon footprint