KBE Building Corp. Renews Commitment to Sustainable Construction in Connecticut

Online, May 12, 2014 (Newswire.com) - KBE Building Corporation, a $300 million commercial construction firm with offices in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, congratulates five staff members who recently became Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associates. LEED Green Associate is a professional certification signifying competency in current green building principles and practices.

KBE has participated in LEED since 2003, with the firm's new owners renewing that commitment to sustainability in 2007. "When Eric, Simon, and I bought the company in 2007, we wanted to increase KBE's commitment to efficiency in construction," said KBE president and principal owner Mike Kolakowski. "We're proud to now have so many LEED-credentialed employees."

With the addition of these five, KBE has 20 total staff members with LEED credentials. The firm's newest LEED Green Associates are as follows:

Julie Chamberland, Senior Project Engineer with 21 years of industry experience and 7 years with KBE

Sydney Colon, Project Engineer with 4 years of industry experience and 1 year with KBE

Sierra Fournier, Marketing Coordinator with 2 years of industry experience and 2 years with KBE

Toni Phillips, Assistant Project Manager with 13 years of industry experience and 7 years with KBE

Kaitlyn Vitorino, Project Engineer with 5 years of industry experience and 1 year with KBE

In addition to its employees' LEED credentials, KBE has 19 building projects eligible for LEED certification.

"Our Annapolis Commissary renovation and addition is eligible for LEED Silver because of the unique way it conserves onsite rainwater," said Kolakowski. "It's exciting each time we construct an environmentally friendly space."

Sustainability isn't the only way KBE gives back to the community: Since 2009, the company's charitable giving program 50 Ways to Make a Difference has donated more than $1.2 million and 5,000 volunteer hours to charitable causes in Connecticut and Maryland.

As part of this year's charitable focus on students, KBE is awarding $17,000 in scholarships to Connecticut technical high school students pursuing higher education in construction or related fields. "We hope that the scholarships will help educate our students not just in construction, but also in sustainability," said Kolakowski.

High-resolution photos of each new LEED Green Associate are available here:

Julie Chamberland: http://impactmarketingandpr.com/press/KBE-Julie-Chamberland.jpg
Sydney Colon: http://impactmarketingandpr.com/press/KBE-Sydney-Colon[1].jpg
Sierra Fournier: http://impactmarketingandpr.com/press/KBE-Sierra-Fournier.jpg
Toni Phillips: http://impactmarketingandpr.com/press/KBE-Toni-Phillips.jpg
Kaitlyn Vitorino: http://impactmarketingandpr.com/press/KBE-Kaitlyn-Vitorino.jpg

About KBE Building Corporation

Regionally located in Farmington, Conn., and Columbia, Md., KBE Building Corporation is a full-service, single-source commercial construction company strategically positioned to serve the Eastern and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Founded in 1959 and incorporated in 1966, the firm provides preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting services to clients in the educational, senior living, federal, corporate, hospitality, health care, institutional, and retail markets. KBE has managed more than $2.5 billion in construction volume over the last decade and is ranked among Engineering News-Record magazine's top 400 construction companies nationally. Learn more at www.kbebuilding.com.

Related Media