Bank makes its mark on going green

Northwest Georgia Bank joined a small club this week of businesses in Chattanooga with a building that meets the criteria of being green.

The North Shore branch on Manufacturers Road, next to the Two North Shore shopping center, is only the sixth building to become Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, officials said.

"It fit for the site, and it fit for Chattanooga," said Tom Mastin, senior vice president of retail sales for Northwest Georgia Bank.

The bank began its process of LEED certification on the building more than a year ago, bank officials said. A few of the LEED features on the building include water efficient plumbing, white reflective roofing and recycled local building materials, officials said.

The bank received a silver LEED certification on Thursday. Other designations are gold and platinum.

Stacie Phillips, branch manager, said she is impressed with the amount of knowledge and education the public has had when visiting the bank. She said some patrons have been surprised.

"I think people were a little shocked at a bank going green," she said.

But in the long run, it could mean the bank saving a little green, or money, Mr. Mastin said.

Knox Farmer, vice president of branch operations and sales manager, said the North Shore branch has served as a "catalyst" for other projects going on right now. The bank is looking at building other branches on Highway 58 and in East Brainerd and also could look at getting those LEED-certified.

The newest bank for Northwest Georgia Bank also could span retrofits in the nine other already existing branches in Tennessee and North Georgia, Mr. Mastin said.

"We've changed our perspective and it's made us think what we want to do on some of these buildings that are 40 years old," he said.

The bank was helped along in the process by Greenspaces, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to spurring green building projects.

Jeff Cannon, director of Greenspaces, said this week that the hope is this will spur the company to pursue more green initiatives in its building and maintenance of existing branches. He said the savings in electricity, water and other utilities should translate to the bank looking at other cost-saving measures that will be environmentally sound.

"They're going to see the returns from it," he said.

WHAT IS LEED?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system is a third-party certification program for buildings and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings.

Source: U.S. Green Council

LEED CERTIFIED

Chattanooga facilities that have achieved certification including:

* Northwest Georgia Bank

* Hamilton Hotel building on Cherry Street

* Freight Depot (Henderson, Hutcherson & McCoulough)

* Two North Shore shopping center (Three buildings)

Source: Greenspaces