11.06.2007 - 03:55pm ET

(CSRwire) QUINCY, MA - November 6, 2007 - /PRNewswire/ -- The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company of Quincy, MA, and its sister company, Giant Food of Landover, MD, today announced that they are the only supermarket chain in the country to have been selected to participate in the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Portfolio Program pilot for LEED volume certification for existing buildings.

"Our acceptance into this pilot, recognizes Stop & Shop and Giant's strong environmental leadership and innovation and our early commitment to and success in developing and operating green and energy efficient stores," stated Stop & Shop and Giant president and CEO, Jose Alvarez.

USGBC develops and administers the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, which is the nationally accepted standard for green buildings. The USGBC Portfolio Program is a pilot program that enables owners to integrate the LEED green building rating system into new and existing buildings in their company's portfolio, and do so in a cost effective way without sacrificing the technical rigor and integrity of LEED. The Portfolio Program recognizes market leaders who have committed to and achieved high levels of LEED certification within their portfolio. Participants in the pilot program represent a cross section of market sectors, including institutional investors, financial institutions, hoteliers, retailers, higher education, governments and corporations. The USGBC Portfolio Pilot Program is currently closed and expects to be open to the market in 2008.

"Stop & Shop is making a tremendous commitment to green building," said Doug Gatlin, Director, LEED National Accounts. "Green buildings are environmentally responsible, healthier for the building occupants, and are more profitable."

"At Stop & Shop and Giant Food we are deeply committed to undertaking more sustainable business practices that protect the environment in each and every one of our neighborhoods. In order for us to be profitable in the long term, we need to be a responsible partner for the communities we're in, the customers we serve, the employees who work for us, and the vendors that supply us," said Alvarez.

"Stop & Shop and Giant Food are already leaders in energy efficient and environmentally sustainable policies and initiatives," said Jihad Rizkallah vice president of Design & Engineering for Stop & Shop and Giant. "We have many standardized environmentally responsible programs and systems in our stores, such as recycling, solid waste management, and water conservation. We have also been recognized nationally for our energy-efficiency attributes including white reflective TPO roof membrane, daylight harvesting, T5 fluorescent lighting systems with dimmable ballasts and occupancy sensors controlled by state-of-the-art energy management systems, refrigeration systems with high-efficiency fan motors, low-energy glass, and more."

USGBC is working with market leaders in a variety of market sectors, including institutional investors, financial institutions, hoteliers, retailers, higher education, and government to further develop and refine this program. According to the USGBC, in the U.S. buildings account for 36% of total energy use, 65% of electricity consumption and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Stores in the Stop & Shop and Giant Food portfolio use about 40 percent less energy than average supermarkets. Stop & Shop and Giant Food are also one of only a few supermarket chains across the country to achieve recognition by EPA as an ENERGY STAR Leader.

About Stop & Shop and Giant Food:
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, based in Quincy, Massachusetts, and its sister company, Giant Food of Landover, MD, employ more than 82,000 associates and operate 575 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.

About USGBC:
USGBC is a community of leaders working to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated. USGBC envisions an environmentally responsible, healthy, and prosperous built environment that improves the quality of life. Founded in 1993, the Council now comprises more than 12,000 member organizations representing every sector of the building industry and a network of over 70 local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups. USGBC offers a broad portfolio of LEED(R) green building programs and services; professional education workshops; and the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. For more information: www.usgbc.org.

SOURCE Stop & Shop; Giant Food

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