Building Greener Buildings

Sterling Autobody: Reducing Environmental Impact

Sterling Autobody Centers, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allstate, operates 60 auto collision repair facilities in 16 states. Sterling’s operations are specifically mentioned in, and covered by, Allstate’s environmental policy. Sterling also has its own commitment to identifying and managing its environmental impacts and serving customers in ways that have a reduced impact on the environment.

Sterling was the first national chain to convert its entire network to waterborne paint, a high-performance paint that greatly reduces volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. Other environmental programs at Sterling include:

• Annual testing of car wash wastewater
• Regular testing of used paint booth filters
• Recycling flooring materials
• “Low water consumption” plumbing fixtures
• Appliances, copiers, printers, monitors are “Energy Star” certified
• Shutting off all interior lights at the end of the day
• Building facilities to prevent pollution of town septic/water supply
• Recycling antifreeze waste
• Recycling all cardboard and metal
• Recycling all copier and toner cartridges
• Proper disposal of computer and office equipment

Recognizing the importance of good safety habits as part of its commitment to environmental responsibility, Sterling Autobody recently launched a “Techs of Tomorrow” Safety & Environmental training series that brings environmentally conscious auto body courses to high school students.

The program kicked off in 2010 with more than 70 students trained at two schools in two states. In 2011, the program expanded to train more than 400 students at 10 schools in five states.

How Allstate Corporate Headquarters is Bringing it All Home

The best kind of challenge is one that opens the door to a new opportunity. That’s exactly what Allstate found when examining how to relocate employees from outlying offices in the northwest Chicago suburbs to its Home Office campus in Northbrook, Illinois. As part of a Chicago-area real estate consolidation plan that started in 2010 and accelerated in 2011, employees from Allstate’s South Barrington and Vernon Hills facilities were gradually relocated to the company’s Northbrook Home Office campus. At the same time, employees at the company’s leased facility in nearby Wheeling began relocating to the Home Office in phases, which will continue through mid-2013.

“The most obvious benefit to the plan is the significant savings it will bring (approximately US$20 million annually), as well as the ability to reinvest that money in strategies that contribute to our goals for growth,” said Jim DeVries, executive vice president, Human Resources. “We also found an excellent opportunity to foster the culture change we need to reach those goals more effectively and quickly.”

To that end, as office spaces in the Home Office were reconfigured to make room for relocating employees, those areas were (and continue to be) renovated to create a more collaborative, contemporary working environment. The updated floor plans in all departments eschewed the traditional office setting for a more open atmosphere.

Allstate’s Senior Leadership Team also did its part by trading in existing spaces for smaller offices that free up square footage for additional workspaces and community areas.

“These decisions were not made lightly; we realize the impact this will have on employee commuting,” DeVries said. “But we believe this opportunity to update buildings built as long as 40 to 50 years ago is truly a boon to our efforts toward creating a culture of collaboration.”

The redesigned environment is less hierarchical and more contemporary, and in many cases, walls and doors have come down, letting more natural light through and bringing people together.

“In the practical sense, we are now able to accommodate more people and realize significant long-term savings,” DeVries said. “But we’re also driving higher performance with more open dialogue and increased interaction in social spaces. If you look at any recent study or the offices of cutting-edge companies, it’s clear: This is the office space of the future.”