Travel Guard Building Receives Certification

Stevens Point, WI – February 24, 2010 – Travel Guard (www.travelguard.com) (www.travelguard.ca) was awarded LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for ingenuity in green building and design of its new North American Headquarters, which was completed in July, 2009 in the Stevens Point Business Park. The LEED Silver Certification indicates that the new facility is designed and built to be sustainable, improve air and water quality, reduce solid waste, and improve occupants’ and society’s well-being.

“This facility incorporates many environmentally friendly and energy-efficient elements, as well as an infrastructure on the cutting edge of technology,” said Dean Sivley, CEO of Travel Guard North America. “We are extremely proud that our new headquarters has met specific environmental standards, and we are pleased to see the positive impact it is having on our employees, our company and our community as a whole, as we leverage our unique capabilities throughout the nation and the world.”

 LEED Silver Certification of the Travel Guard facility was based on 24 green building design and construction features, with the primary criteria including the following:

• Certified wood materials
  - 50% of the wood based materials used in the Travel Guard building are certified in accordance with the Forest Stewardship Council’s Principles & Criteria.
• Low-emitting materials (adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpet systems)
  -The quality of indoor air in the new headquarters is achieved by using adhesives and sealants that are low-emitting VOC (Volatile Organic Compound – a chemical emitted out of materials into the atmosphere.) This helps reduce contaminants otherwise found indoors that could be odorous, irritating, and or harmful to the comfort and well-being of the occupants.
• Reduced water usage
  - Efficiency fixtures in the building reduce the burden on the municipal water supply and wastewater systems by 30%.
• Storage and collection of recyclables
  -An easily accessible area in the Travel Guard headquarters is dedicated to the collection and storage of non-hazardous materials for recyclables.
• A park-like setting and walking paths
  -A wooded area north of the new building preserves wildlife, and other areas of the property will ultimately be converted to native grasses and flowers.
• A self-sustaining water resource
  -The north side of the building’s parking lot will hold bio-swells, a series of underground structures that use natural materials to create a holding area for rain and snow run-off (this water can be used for watering lawns and flowers).

“Throughout the planning and construction of our headquarters, our focus was on energy conservation, reduced emissions and improved water conservation,” said David McHone, Travel Guard Vice President of Business Continuity and Development. “Our new building is projected to reduce water costs by 40% and also produce significant savings on other utilities. The LEED Silver Certification is an affirmation that we are meeting our commitment to be good stewards of the environment, while providing a healthy work environment for our employees.”

About U.S. Green Building Council

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 100,000 LEED Accredited Professionals, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to soar to $60 billion by 2010. The USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

About LEED

The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system is the preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. 35,000 projects are currently participating in the LEED system, comprising over 5.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 91 countries.

By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.

USGBC was co-founded by current President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, who spent 25 years as a Fortune 500 executive. Under his 15-year leadership, the organization has become the preeminent green building, membership, policy, standards, influential, education and research organization in the nation. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.