Seattle Green Building Firm takes the Concept of Sustainability to the Heart of its Business

SEATTLE, September 16, 2009 – Paladino and Company, Inc., an industry pioneer and leader in sustainability and green building consulting, is bucking current recessionary caution by adding new positions and investing in its employees through positive pay scale adjustments and talent management programs.

Over the past year the Seattle-based company has strengthened the operating structure of the organization with additions to its marketing, human resources and accounting staff, and by reorganizing the consulting team to better serve clients. These changes will help the company integrate the necessary processes and supporting infrastructure to effectively manage the increasing scope and complexity of sustainable development projects and other client needs.

While other industries are experiencing a slowdown in this economy, green building – a term that has become synonymous with sustainable development and environmental sustainability – appears to be more resilient. The industry has been steadily growing and expanding for the past 10 years. Research cited in the Green Outlook 2009 report¹ by McGraw Hill Construction indicates that the overall green building market (commercial and residential) is likely to reach $96-140 billion by 2013.

Paladino and Company is not only experiencing this demand, it’s seeing a shift in the scale and scope of client work, with sustainable approaches to design, construction and portfolio management becoming more the norm than the exception. Whereas previously the focus was on greening one or two flagship buildings, companies are now looking to have all new and existing properties in their commercial real estate portfolios validated by a third-party rating system such as LEED.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) certification system, which assigns point values to a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. According to the USGBC², every business day, $464 million in construction value registers for LEED Certification and there are LEED projects in all 50 states and 91 countries.

“What’s unfolding is a welcome trend. Companies are now stepping back and taking a more holistic approach to applying sustainable principles to their portfolios. We have numerous contracts underway that include multiple structures, ranging from 10 or fewer to as many as 300,” said Tom Paladino, founder and president, Paladino and Company. “To keep pace with these demands and maintain the high level of service expected by our clients, we recognized the need to expand our internal core competencies and skill sets beyond green building design and construction to provide an end-to-end sustainable consulting service to building owners, touching all aspects of their business and building supply chain.”

Tom Paladino is no stranger to establishing best practices and standards. He has been credited as the principal author of the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Reference Guide, and his firm established the LEED certification management process that applies to multiple buildings within a single portfolio constructed based on a LEED-rated prototype design. Adopted by the USGBC as a standard certification process, the LEED Volume Certification Program was piloted by Paladino client PNC Financial Services Group, who has certified 64 bank branches under the program. To date, Paladino has consulted on more than 500 sustainably designed building projects, taking nearly 100 through the LEED certification process.

Beyond expanding its employee base, this year the company underwent an effort to align salary compensation to market value. Because an established benchmark for green building consulting salaries did not yet exist, a consulting firm was brought in to research like occupations and create new benchmarks, resulting in an upward adjustment of salary ranges where needed. Under the leadership of the new human resources director, Carrie Larson, the company’s already robust talent management programs will be formalized and further developed to better train and mentor staff.

“Both competitive salaries and talent management programs are important components of attracting and retaining the high-performing individuals critical to our clients’ success,” said Larson. “By understanding what motivates our staff to succeed, we are better able to design talent management programs that inspire industry leadership. As our hiring keeps pace with the growth of the green building market, we need to ensure every employee is challenged and productive while feeling valued and respected by the company. These measures will help us achieve this goal and ready ourselves for the economic turnaround,” said Larson.

Paladino agrees. “The investments we’ve made in new hires and salary increases will be instrumental in our ability to service existing and future clients and sustain the best and brightest talent while promoting a rapidly growing and profitable business that meets its mission to help clients balance business and environmental needs simultaneously.”

The following individuals have recently been hired by Paladino and Company:
• Carrie Larson, director of Human Resources – Larson provides senior human resources leadership to the management and employees of Paladino. She brings 20 years of experience in all areas of human resources including strategic HR leadership, organizational development, performance management, recruitment, employee communications, compensation and benefits.
• Maggie Santolla, marketing specialist – Santolla is responsible for communications activities and brand management. She oversees the firm’s marketing campaigns, supports public relations efforts, manages marketing materials and resources and supports business development. Santolla draws on more than eight years of experience in marketing, public relations and communications management for professional services firms and creative organizations, as well as a passion and commitment to sustainable principals.
• Robin McNeil, bookkeeper – McNeil is responsible for supporting the company’s financial objectives by maintaining the bookkeeping system, managing accounts payable/receivable, preparing financial reports, tax filings, and processing payroll. Her career spans 30 years, with a range of experience in accounting and business management for growing companies.

About Paladino and Company
Paladino and Company, Inc. is an internationally recognized sustainability and green building consulting firm that helps organizations align business growth with the long term health and vitality of the planet. The firm’s specialized team of architects, engineers, and business analysts work collaboratively with building owners and their teams to create high performance green buildings and companies, resulting in environmentally responsible development and reduced total cost of ownership. For more information, please visit www.paladinoandco.com.

Customer Contact:
For more information about Paladino and Company, visit www.paladinoandco.com or call 206-522-7600.

Media Contacts:
Maggie Santolla, Paladino and Company, 206-708-8291, maggies@paladinoandco.com
Tracey Fitzgerald, Paladino and Company, 206-898-6598, traceyf@paladinoandco.com

Data Sources
¹ McGraw Hill Construction (2009). Green Outlook 2009: Trends Driving Change.
² USGBC Green Building Facts (April 2009)