Nordic Naturals builds LEED Gold Certified Facility

November 9, 2011 — Nordic Naturals announced that is has become the first NSF certified supplier and marketer of dietary supplements in the U.S. to build a new LEED Gold certified facility.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), is an internationally recognized green building certification system that promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability. At 87,000 square feet, Nordic Naturals’ two-story Watsonville, Calif. headquarters with warehouse and fulfillment is the largest LEED Gold certified building in the tri-county area and sits amid 108,500 square feet of undisturbed wildlife habitat.

According to Joar Opheim, Nordic Naturals founder and CEO, “Visitors are surprised to see that most of the flooring is cork. Cork oak bark can be harvested up to 20 times during its lifetime and is extremely resistant to heat, sound, and wear, making it an ideal green building material. Employees have commented on enjoying a nicer work environment and increased productivity due to improved lighting, sound, air circulation, and a noticeable absence of chemicals used in typical construction.”

To watch a special video of the inauguration of the new LEED certified building, see http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Education/YouTube_Presentations/507.

Some of the building highlights include: skylights and localized radiant heat in warehouse; gym/workout/shower area with recycled rubber flooring; manually operated folding partitions and flexible lighting controls to divide conference rooms into smaller areas; water purification systems in kitchens and coffee bars; bathroom wall and floor tile made from 40 percent recycled material without solvents in their glazes; bicycle parking; landscaping that uses 55 percent less water; 44 percent water savings from low-flow toilets, faucets, and  showerheads; electrical energy use reduction by 31 percent; recycled material use throughout the structure accounts for almost 26 percent of the total material costs; local products and regional materials at 32 percent of the total material costs; reduction of indoor contaminants; and no PVCs, VOCs, formaldehyde or heavy metals in wall coverings.

At each step, Nordic Naturals partnered with green builders and designers to incorporate products that conserve resources and improve health.

Source: Nordic Naturals, www.nordicnaturals.com