SANTA ANA, Calif., March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Grubb & Ellis
Company (NYSE: GBE), a leading real estate services and investment
firm, today announced that the company will participate in the
World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour 2011 by turning off non-essential
lights and electrical equipment at all offices occupied by the
firm. Grubb & Ellis is also encouraging tenants of the
302 million square feet of space managed by the company on behalf
of clients to participate.
Earth Hour will take place on Saturday,
March 26, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30
p.m. local time. Grubb & Ellis and its clients
will join more than 50 million supporters and a global network in
more than 100 countries with the common goal to stop the
degradation of the Earth's natural environment and build awareness
for climate change.
"We are proud that with the flip of a switch, Grubb & Ellis
will unite in spirit with its clients and millions of people around
the world to take action and raise awareness of climate change – a
cause that affects everyone on Earth," said Thomas P. D'Arcy, president and chief executive
officer of Grubb & Ellis. "We are committed to making an
environmental difference and recognize the importance of treating
the Earth with care in all that we do."
In conjunction with powering down equipment and lights, Grubb
& Ellis will support the WWF's new cause, Beyond the Hour,
calling for continued support when the lights come back on after
Earth Hour. The company will distribute to employees, clients
and tenants of properties under management a one-month calendar
with daily activities that benefit the Earth. The calendar
will offer participants an opportunity to bridge Earth Hour to
Earth Day and keep climate change top
of mind.
More than 110 of Grubb & Ellis' professionals have earned
the LEED AP, LEED Green Associate, Green Advantage, Certified Green
Broker, Certified Energy Management Professional and/or Renewable
Energy Professional designations.
In July 2010, Grubb & Ellis
was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to participate in the
pilot program for the Global Superior Energy Performance
Partnership. The company is one of six major U.S.
corporations plus the GSA, and the only commercial real estate
firm, participating in the Partnership, an international, market
based, certification program that provides industry and commercial
facilities with a pathway for achieving continuous improvement in
energy efficiency.
About Grubb & Ellis' Commitment to Sustainability
Through the company's Greening Our Offices program, Grubb &
Ellis uses a creative, structured approach to encourage its local
offices to adopt sustainable business practices to advance
knowledge-sharing and build awareness among all employees. The goal
of the program is for sustainability to become second nature and
core to the company's operations. In addition, Grubb & Ellis
participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project, annually measuring
and seeking to reduce its carbon footprint by teaming with many of
its vendors to facilitate the adoption of environmentally friendly
products and services in support of its workforce.
For clients, Grubb & Ellis advances green real estate
practices through its Sustainability Group, which provides
long-term operational solutions and cost savings for environmental
challenges through various services, including transaction
guidance, property and facility management, construction and
project management and portfolio planning and management. The
company's proprietary Roadmap to Sustainability tool incorporates
participation in the EPA's Energy Star program, as well as low to
no cost solutions and LEED certification guidelines to benchmark
the performance of properties Grubb & Ellis manages for its
clients. This in turn drives greater operational efficiency, lower
costs and a reduced environmental impact.
About Grubb & Ellis Company
Grubb & Ellis Company (NYSE: GBE) is one of the largest and
most respected commercial real estate services and investment
companies in the world. Our 5,200 professionals in more than 100
company-owned and affiliate offices draw from a unique platform of
real estate services, practice groups and investment products to
deliver comprehensive, integrated solutions to real estate owners,
tenants and investors. The firm's transaction, management,
consulting and investment services are supported by highly regarded
proprietary market research and extensive local expertise. Through
its investment management business, the company is a leading
sponsor of real estate investment programs. For more
information, visit www.grubb-ellis.com.
SOURCE Grubb & Ellis Company