3.17.2008 - 01:00pm ET

(CSRwire) WINCHESTER, MA - March 17, 2008 - Allegheny Contract Flooring Inc. announced today that it is offsetting its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, one of the country's leading carbon offset organizations. Allegheny Contract is offsetting every element of its carbon footprint, including commuting, trucking, heating and electricity. This commitment establishes Allegheny Contract as an environmental leader in the New England flooring community and demonstrates the proactive steps Allegheny Contract is taking in the fight against global climate change.

When Daniel and James Auditore took over the helms of Allegheny Contract in 2005, they were following in the footsteps of their father Greg and their grandfather Charles. Both felt a tremendous responsibility to establish their own legacy as young owners representing the third generation of a family tradition. Influenced by the likes of Paul Hawkens, William McDonough and Michael Braungart, it did not take them long to decide how they would put their stamp on the family business. They transformed Allegheny Contract into not only a sustainable organization but a restorative one as well.

Allegheny has established a vibrant recycling program that has diverted over 3,000,000 pounds of used carpet from landfills. Additionally, Allegheny recycles all of the plastic and paper packaging in which carpet manufacturers ship carpet; the cardboard tubes in which the carpet is rolled when being prepared to ship; all blueprints from the company's estimating department; and all other papers, plastics and metals. Allegheny also offers product consultation concerning flooring materials marketed as "green," and it offers independent support in these matters to interior designers, general-contractors and end-users at no cost.

In 2007, Allegheny Contract joined the U.S. Green Building Council and now has LEED AP's on staff. Allegheny Contract's latest contribution to the green-building movement, partnering with Carbonfund.org, was a natural next step. James Auditore discovered Carbonfund.org when he purchased a Volkswagen. He had learned about its offsetting practices when searching for alternatives to hybrid vehicles and immediately contacted Carbonfund.org on behalf of Allegheny Contract.

Owner and Director of Sustainability James Auditore said, "If the green-building movement is an honest one, the first world is more like the third world and the third world is more like the first world. The development that had previously separated the two turns out not to have been sustainable. So what we are really talking about here is taking it all apart and returning to the ways that were previously considered primitive. None of us alive today in America will live to see a complete return to our earthly connections and roots. For all those who want their progeny to reclaim that connection on behalf of our generation, no stone should be left unturned."

"Building construction is extremely energy intensive, but as Allegheny Contract demonstrates, simple and cost-effective steps can be taken to minimize the impact of human development on our environment," said Eric Carlson, Executive Director of Carbonfund.org. "We're pleased to partner with Alleghany Contract in making the future of commercial flooring more sustainable."

About Allegheny Contract Flooring Inc.

Allegheny Contract Flooring Inc. is New England's largest commercial flooring company and is run by CEO James Burke. Allegheny Contract specializes in all elements of flooring, from surface preparation to the installation of every imaginable surface, to maintenance, product consultation and moisture mitigation. Allegheny Contract's main office is in Winchester, Massachusetts; with a satellite office in Providence, Rhode Island and its office of sustainability in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

About Carbonfund.org

Carbonfund.org is the country's leading carbon reduction and offset organization, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact. Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives by supporting high-quality verified renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. Carbonfund.org works with over 600 corporate and non-profit partners including Discovery, Allstate, Volkswagen, Dell, Orbitz, Environmental Defense, and Lancôme.

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