Arpin International Group Partner Peter Arpin last week addressed the newly formed Rhode Island chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, detailing steps that the 108-year-old company has been taking toward a “greener” office environment.
Arpin took a few minutes earlier in the week to talk with Providence Business News about the changes and why they are important.
PBN: First, tell me a little bit about Arpin International Group’s green building strategy in your renovated offices and how that started.
ARPIN: We started this process with the hiring of Norm Cook, our environmental consultant, about a year ago. Since then we have been investigating all building materials – including HVAC, insulating material, light fixtures, etc. – that bring efficiency and less energy use.
We also have been looking at renewable energy for our offices, including solar applications and technology that eliminate potential waste of natural resources.
These include: removal of all fluorescent lights, which have been replaced with LED bulbs that are lower energy users and last indefinitely; reduced-water consumption facilities in restrooms; electric instantaneous under-sink hot water heaters in the bathrooms and kitchen; solar tubes utilized as supplemental energy source; solar panel awnings above each window; drastic reduction in use of paper by new internal initiatives; and a full-scale audit by local power company and the U.S. Department of Energy to determine maximum energy efficiency. Those are just a few of the improvements we’ve been making.
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PBN: Why is it important for a company the size of Arpin to step forward with those types of measures?
ARPIN: It is important for operational, financial, marketing and social reasons … It helps us position our company more concisely, eliminate costs, provide public-relations opportunities and get the company and employees committed to a great social cause.
Two elements must be in place before a company can make an effective transition into green technology. … First, recruit an expert who understands the many green-technology options available to companies and, second, foster a corporate culture that fully embraces the green transition and acts with a unified vision. Significant cost savings can be realized, especially by taking advantage of subsidy programs.
We are not the experts in green technology. But we have a culture of entrepreneurial spirit and have sought the expertise of a consultant to guide us through this transition to a greener company. We knew that we could not be the same company we were 10 years ago, so we made it our job to find out how to conduct our operation better and more efficiently while minimizing our impact on the environment.
We are responding to the changes in the world around us and building a company for the next 108 years.
PBN: What is Arpin’s “Green Loan” program and why is it important?
ARPIN: As part of our comprehensive program, we encourage all employees to adopt green technologies as part of their lifestyle, particularly when constructing or renovating their homes or replacing equipment that consumes energy. To assist employees, our board of directors approved a loan program under which Arpin Group will finance a portion of costs related to going green.
Home improvements covered under the loan program include insulation, the purchase of energy star appliances, fluorescent lighting, solar panels, tree planting, irrigation systems, plumbing equipment that uses less water and other measures. There is also a provision in the loan that allows for the purchase of a hybrid vehicle to replace one that is less fuel efficient.
The loan program is available to all employees who have been continuously employed by Arpin for at least the past five years. Arpin will finance up to half of the employee’s cost of qualified green projects to a maximum of $10,000.
The green loan program is important because it engages our employees into the process, providing them the means to reduce their operating costs at home and eliminate emissions.
PBN: What other environmentally friendly programs are in Arpin’s future?
ARPIN: For one, we are in the process of joining the [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s] Smart Move program to manage company-owned and outside fleets to reduce and/or eliminate emissions by switching to hydrogen fuel cells.
We are also conducting a phased approach to getting our offices around the world renovated with these new green technologies.
PBN: Outside the office, can a company like Arpin track its greenhouse gas footprint throughout the shipping process?
ARPIN: Yes, it is vital for the success of our environmental initiatives. Clearly, a trucking company’s ability to track, monitor and reduce emissions is the foundation of a green program.
We accomplish this through the EPA Smart Way program and other outside, third-party agencies. Arpin International Group will someday request the similar green initiatives from our trucking vendors.
Arpin Group Inc., the holding company for Arpin Van Lines, Arpin International Group, Arpin Moving Systems (Canada), Star Moving Network and Intermodal Credit Corp., has remained family owned and operated since its founding more than a century ago. Additional information can be found at www.arpin.com.
