THE FACILITY, WHICH OPENED ITS DOORS IN NOVEMBER 2018, IS THE SECOND MARY KAY PROJECT TO EARN COVETED LEED STATUS
DALLAS, TX (June 4, 2019) – Mary Kay Inc., an international leader in corporate and social responsibility, today announced its Lewisville, TX manufacturing facility, the Richard R. Rogers (R3) Manufacturing / R&D Center, has been awarded LEED Silver certification. The 453,000-square-foot building, opened in November 2018, features state-of-the-art R&D laboratories, cutting-edge manufacturing technology, and an astute focus on sustainable, environmentally-friendly construction.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED certification is awarded to projects that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated using healthy, highly-efficient and sustainable practices.
“At Mary Kay, we understand that every choice we make today impacts the future of our employees, our independent sales force and the communities in which we live and work,” said Chaun Harper, Chief Manufacturing Officer at Mary Kay. “Earning LEED status at R3 is another example of our company’s corporate stewardship—it showcases our commitment to enriching the lives others through rewarding opportunities, social responsibility and, most importantly, sustainable practices.”
Following an exhaustive search of potential locations throughout North Texas, Mary Kay Inc. broke ground on R3 on September 13, 2016, exactly 53 years to the day after Mary Kay Ash launched her dream company from a small Dallas storefront. The project earned LEED Silver certification based on a number of key elements in design and construction, including:
- Location: Facility located within one-quarter-mile walking distance of one or more stops for two or more public, campus or private bus lines usable by building occupants.
- Heat Island: 100% of the weighted building roof surface has Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of 95.
- Water use: The facility has reduced potable water use by 33.96%, which saves approximately 913,480 gallons of potable water per year.
- Energy savings: The facility has achieved an energy cost savings of 13.48% by implementing strategies such as energy efficient lighting, thermal controls, and purchasing renewable energy for 100% of electricity consumed through 2021.
R3 is the second Mary Kay project to earn the coveted LEED status. In 2018, Mary Kay China was awarded LEED v4 Gold certification for its corporate headquarters building located in Shanghai.
“Mary Kay Ash, our founder, once said, ‘I feel very strongly that we must do everything in our power to save our planet. Mary Kay is an environmental leader because we strongly feel it is the right thing to do,’” added Harper. “We take her words to heart. We’re committed to building a future that’s healthier, greener, and sustainable for generations to come.”