WEST WARWICK, RI (November 7, 2014)– The International Society of Sustainability Professionals recently visited Arpin Group to help executives measure their sustainability programs against other companies, while assisting them to chart a course for a greener future.
“Arpin Group is the first company in the moving and transportation industry to perform our sustainability self-assessment,” said Maureen Hart, executive director of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals. “The purpose of our visit today was not to grant a certification, but rather provide the tools for Arpin Group executives to assess their company against existing sustainability benchmarks covering a variety of practice areas. We want Arpin executives to both celebrate their progress and identify areas where sustainability practices can be further enhanced.”
Using the S-CORE™ multi-purpose sustainability assessment tool, Maureen andArpin executives evaluated Arpin Group’s progress in several practice areas on a 9-point scale, from “incubator” status, up to “fully integrated”. The practice areas included senior management, office operations, finance/accounting, purchasing, environmental affairs and marketing/public relations.
“This was a very eye-opening exercise to evaluate ourselves against other organizations,” said Mark Greene, senior vice president of GSA services, who participated in the group assessment session. “There were definitely areas where we were already engaged in a sustainability practice, but had not yet formalized and standardized it across our company. We still have room to improve.”
Also in attendance was Peter Arpin, partner of Arpin Group and host of ReNewable Now, the eco-conscious TV series and radio program, which provides “the business side of green.”
“While there are changes we and other companies can continue to make internally, we have to ultimately migrate away from fossil fuels and replace them with clean energy in the long term,” said Peter Arpin. “I’m optimistic we can get there because the returns are enormous.”
After the workshop, Maureen toured the Arpin Group headquarters to view the “green” renovations performed in 2012. The construction project added 2,834 square feet to the building, including a new media room, an expanded lobby, and a new corridor connecting the office building and warehouse on two levels. Other enhancements included:
- A solar array, containing 912 solar modules, which provides 40 percent of the building’s electrical power.
- New roofing on the office building and warehouse with highly reflective membrane that reduces heat gain.
- New insulated solar reflective windows that prevent heat gain while letting in more natural daylight. Skylights are also fitted with this special glass.
- New energy-efficient rooftop package HVAC units with full economizer function.
- Radiant heating in new connector to minimize drafts between connected buildings.
- Occupancy sensors to control lighting.
- All new flooring made from “green” materials.
- New furniture workstations made from recycled content.
About Arpin Group Inc.
Arpin Group Inc. is the parent-holding company of Arpin Van Lines, Arpin International Group, Creative Storage Solutions, Arpin Associates and Arpin Renewable Energy. Headquartered in West Warwick, Rhode Island (USA), the Arpin Group of companies is an industry leader in full-service household goods moving and storage for corporate, private residential, government and military customers. With a reputation for excellent service, Arpin is the only U.S.-based family-owned and operated moving and storage company that has remained dominant and successful for more than a century. Arpin is the official mover of the LPGA, a ProMover-certified member of the American Moving and Storage Association, and the world headquarters is fully accredited by the International Federation of International Furniture Removers (FIDI). For more information, visit http://www.arpingroup.com.
About S-CORE™
S-CORE™(Sustainability–Competency, Opportunity, Reporting & Evaluation) is a multi-purpose sustainability assessment tool that speeds up the implementation of organizational sustainable practices. A tool that works equally well for businesses and not-for-profits, S-CORE™ helps organizations determine where they are on the road to sustainability and identify and prioritize opportunities to accelerate their journey forward. Originally developed by AXIS Performance Advisors in collaboration with the International Sustainable Development Foundation and the Zero Waste Alliance, the web-based version of S-CORE™ was created by Sustainable Measures, LLC to allow easier access by a wider audience of users. In 2014, AXIS and Sustainable Measures turned ownership of S-CORE™ over to ISSP in order to put the tool into the public domain and accelerate the implementation of sustainable best practices and to further ISSP’s mission of making sustainability standard practice.
About ISSP
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) is the world’s leading professional association for sustainability professionals. ISSP is a member-driven association committed to moving the profession of sustainability forward through building strong networks and communities of practice. Webinars, online courses, a sustainability certificate program, sustainability professional’s body of knowledge, special reports, resource directories, and salary surveys are just a sampling of the rich content offered to members. Formed in 2007, ISSP boasts almost 1,000 members from every region of the world. Members share resources and best practices, and develop themselves professionally. For more information about ISSP, its offerings and ISSP Conference 2014, to take place November 12-14 in Denver, Colorado, please visit www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org.
