Jewett Construction completes 3-year New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Aspiring Leaders Program

Four year ago, Jewett Construction Co., Inc. (JCCI) committed to an Environmental Leadership Initiative established by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (N.H. DES) to further its goal to "help sustain a high quality of life for all citizens by protecting and restoring the environment and public health in New Hampshire." The corporate-focused Aspiring Leaders Program, designed to help business leaders move their companies and employees toward environmental sustainability, involves implementing a number of initiatives or best management practices approved by DES and issuing written verifiable annual reports to ensure compliance. In conjunction with DES, JCCI developed a number of challenging goals to be met over a three year period. These included drastically increasing the recycling of job site dumpster refuse, decreasing office paper purchases by 75%, and ensuring that all JCCI project managers are trained as LEED certified professionals within one year of hire. JCCI said that at the end of its final reporting period, 86% of dumpster debris was being recycled and the company's newest project manager, hired in the spring of this year, is currently pursuing certification. Meeting the goals for paper usage proved more challenging, necessitating the conversion to a paperless office—an accomplishment made all the more impressive considering JCCI staff has increased considerably and the company now generates much of its own marketing materials and bid documents in-house. In addition, virtually all intra-organizational correspondence is now printed, when necessary, on paper recycled from other in-house use: outside correspondence and outdated corporate and marketing materials. "Fresh" copy paper is used only for those documents sent out of the building. "It takes a while to change attitudes, teach people to be mindful of the resources they use each day," notes JCCI marketing manager Alison Jewett. "I think for all of us it's changed who we are in relation to our environment." Jewett Construction is a design-build / construction management firm specializing in commercial and industrial projects throughout the Northeast. It is the parent company of Jewett Automotive Design & Construction and Jewett Metal Buildings & Steel Erectors, specializing in automobile dealership design and construction and steel buildings respectively. Collectively, their clients include such well-known organizations as Northeast Credit Union, SIGSAUER, the Grappone Automotive Group, Exeter Hospital, and Manchester Community College.