The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay recognized Luck Companies – Corporate Campus as a “Businesses for the Bay” Founding Gold Member. Luck Companies – Corporate Campus renewed its membership with a growing partnership of large and small businesses in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that are undertaking voluntary actions to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, rivers and streams.
The Businesses for the Bay membership association provides a network for its members to share strategies and successes with other business members and governmental and non-profit networking partners.
The association also provides members opportunities to engage their associates in environmental efforts and receive recognition for the valuable work they do to help improve the environment. As a Founding Gold Member, the Alliance recognizes Luck Companies – Corporate Campus for its commitment to Chesapeake Bay protection and restoration.
The campus is committed to preserving environmental quality for future generations and respecting and protecting the environment of the communities in which they work and live. Luck Companies accomplishes this by combining scientific knowledge, technical innovations and sound business practices to assure the continual improvement in pollution prevention, conservation of natural resources, and regulatory compliance.
Luck Companies’ Facilities Team supported the elimination of disposable water bottles at the Corporate Campus by installing pre-filtered water and ice dispensers that encourage the use of reusable water bottles. The team estimates that these water dispensers saved the office from needing to buy 14,976 disposable water bottles in 2016.
In addition, the Corporate Campus has been designed to capture all stormwater runoff (4,449,506 gal. in 2016) from impervious surfaces. The runoff is channeled into a 2.7 acre attractive pond, where it is used to irrigate the entire campus.
The campus also removed impervious surfaces and maintains 5,350 sq. ft. of pervious pavers. The Facilities Team saves energy at the Corporate Campus by utilizing automatic temperature controls on thermostats and timers or motion sensors on all lights, including those in parking lots. In an effort to conserve electricity, the campus began to convert all lights to LED in 2016, saving 738.9 KWHr of electric power.
In 2016, Luck Companies hosted the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Virginia Chesapeake Business Forum at the spectacular Corporate Campus, where participants were given the opportunity to learn all about the campus’ green initiatives during an interactive tour.
Associates at Luck Companies also volunteer their time outside of work to help protect the environment. Each year, they conduct road-cleaning events for Virginia’s Adopt-a-Highway program and participate in the annual James River Cleanup.
“Our first year of membership in the Businesses for the Bay program was a great step forward,” said Jeff Sechrest, facilities and property manager for Luck Companies. “We were able to host the Chesapeake Business Forum as well as focus on several goals that helped us to reduce our environmental impacts. We were rewarded with some significant savings on our bills for electricity and water,” he explained. “This year, we plan to continue these efforts and more as we look for new ways to save.”
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Business Partnerships Manager Corinne Stephens stated, “Through the Alliance’s Businesses for the Bay membership association, we help businesses to have a positive impact on Chesapeake Bay restoration, to expand their own sustainability programs, and to be recognized for their environmental successes.”