CNF Named `Best' Business by the City of Portland
CNF was the winner of the "Energy Efficiency Award" and was honored for the wide range of `green' features built into the company's new technology center located at 2055 N.W. Savier St. in Northwest Portland. The company's AdTech campus serves as the administrative, technical and financial headquarters for CNF's global operations, which include Con-Way Transportation Services, Emery Worldwide and Menlo Logistics.
The City of Portland developed the `BEST' program, which stands for Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow, to help local businesses save money and benefit the environment at the same time. The 7th annual awards were issued jointly by the City of Portland, the Association for Portland Progress (APP), the Business Journal of Portland, the Environmental Federation of Oregon (EFO), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
CNF's new building demonstrates how environmental and fiscal responsibilities can go hand in hand. By designing and constructing a facility that uses energy and natural resources wisely, the new building is expected to save $65,000 per year in energy costs.
"CNF was founded in Portland 72 years ago," said Chuck Dragon, vice president of administration at CNF. "We felt it was very important to give back to the community and our employees by doing our part to conserve resources."
The new facility was designed and built to Portland General Electric's (PGE) Earth Advantage(TM) standards for commercial construction. It is expected to use 29 percent less energy each year in the office portion of the building than one built to Oregon's Energy Code.
Among the many energy efficient designs used is a raised floor distribution system, which eliminates the need for traditional ductwork and offers considerable flexibility when reconfiguring office space or running additional wiring or network cable. CNF's facility is one of the first buildings in Oregon to use such a system.
The lighting system is expected to use only 0.8 watts per square foot, about one-third less than the baseline lighting system of a typical office building. It will gradually dim or brighten according to available daylight -- and even turn off most lighting in unoccupied office areas after normal working hours. In addition, the 360-foot-long building is oriented in an east-west direction to maximize daylight, and walls are limited to the interior to allow light to penetrate deeper into the building.
The building's construction also took into account the environment by utilizing recycled materials in its construction. Countertops contain recycled concrete and rubber flooring is made from recycled tires. Water-conserving plumbing fixtures were also selected and CNF even installed an on-site storm water retention system with a special filter, known as a downstream defender, to remove sediment and particulates from storm runoff before it enters the city's storm water system.
Among the building's most important environmental features are those that enhance the quality of the indoor environment. The mechanical ventilation system includes fresh-air economizers with intake ports on every floor that provide fresh air and natural cooling. Paint, carpet and flooring adhesives were selected for their low toxicity levels.
CNF Inc. is a $6 billion management company of global supply chain services with businesses in regional trucking, air freight, ocean freight, customs brokerage, global logistics management and trailer manufacturing. Additional information about CNF and its companies can be found at www.cnf.com.
The City of Portland `BEST' program is managed by the Portland Office of Sustainable Development. Additional information can be found at www.ci.portland.or.us/energy/bestmain.html.