Interfaceflor aims for leed certification
01 April 2009
INTERFACEFLOR, a leader in the manufacture of environmentally-responsible modular floor coverings, is expanding its presence in the region and aiming for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) gold certification for its new regional office in Dubai.
The company, which produces innovative, fashionable and sustainable carpet tiles, will be using its enhanced presence in the region and its green building rating systems knowledge to support customers with their own green buildings and Leed projects, helping them to become more sustainable and save money in the process.
The Leed recognition, which Interfaceflor has also earned for other premises throughout the world including in the US, Thailand, China, and India, will add to the company’s impressive commitment to ‘Sustainability and Mission Zero’ – its ambitious bid to achieve a zero environmental footprint by 2020.
Lindsey Parnell, president and CEO of Interfaceflor Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, says: “Mission Zero, the vision of the company’s founder – Ray Anderson – during the mid-nineties, is a central part of the organisation’s ethos and culture. Everyone got behind it and played their part. And it is clear that without the savings achieved — totalling $372 million since 1996 — brought about by implementing our sustainable initiatives, we might not have been in business today.
“We are completely driven by our goal to eliminate any negative impact our company may have had on the environment and fervently hope that other businesses operating in the Middle East will follow suit and reap great dividends through exploring sustainable options,” Parnell says.
As a founding member of Emirates Green Building Council and leader in the sustainability field, Interfaceflor is able to assist clients in choosing the most sustainable carpet tile from its wide product portfolio and meet the criteria in different green building rating systems, such as Leed or Estidama – both consensus-based standards for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.
Globally, six out of eight platinum commercial interior Leed projects already use Interfaceflor carpets and the company intends to extend that figure, as the number of Leed projects in the region increases exponentially.
Interfaceflor staff has undertaken extensive training in sustainability, including gaining Leed-accredited professional qualifications and all are part of the Sustainability Fast Forward 2020 programme aimed at encouraging increased knowledge in the field. All employees are encouraged to pass on their knowledge and expertise to other Middle East firms needing help and support in pursuit of Leed qualifications.
Parnell says the firm’s expansion in the Middle East would help it cement its global reputation for excellence and innovation. “The opening of a new regional office in Dubai and expansion of our operations in the Gulf is a very exciting development which will allow us to further establish ourselves in the Middle East.”
The move reinforces more than 30 years of Interfaceflor’s presence in the region and its long-standing partnership with UAE distributors – Ofis in Dubai and Thani Murshid in Abu Dhabi.
The regional office will also provide support for distributors in each of the other Gulf countries, including M H Baluchi and Sons in Bahrain; Business Machine Company in Kuwait; Sharikat Fanniya Omaniya in Oman; Rafco in Qatar; Riyadh House in Saudi Arabia; as well as in Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Pakistan, Turkey and the Africa region.
Interfaceflor specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of carpet tiles for the commercial and residential markets.
- Domotex responds to market trends
- Interfaceflor aims for leed certification
- Concrete floors get an extended life
