Reinforcing its position as a leader in the green building industry, St. Louis-based sustainability consulting firm Vertegy, LLC, , has been designated as a LEED® Proven Provider™ by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which is in charge of administering certifications and professional designations within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Green Building Rating Systems™. The new program was developed to streamline the LEED project review process for experienced organizations that demonstrate consistent excellence in administering LEED projects. Vertegy, which has successfully helped over 50 facilities in the residential, office, industrial, public, medical and education industries achieve LEED certification, earned the designation in the Building Design and Construction rating system family.
Having the unique distinction of being one of only 28 firms to be initially selected out of a pool of almost 3,000 into the Proven Provider pilot program last year, Vertegy was one of just three firms that completed the pilot program in November 2013. This pilot program allowed the USGBC and GCBI to move forward with the program and officially make it available to other qualified firms.
“Quality is at the core of the LEED certification process, and Vertegy has exhibited expertise in helping to bring healthy, high-performing buildings to the market,” said Doug Gatlin, vice president of program delivery, USGBC and GBCI. “The LEED Proven Provider model represents a great partnership between Vertegy and GBCI, because it allows GBCI to maintain a rigorous certification program and gives Vertegy the opportunity to deliver LEED projects to its clients faster.”
In order to qualify for the LEED® Proven Provider™ program, organizations must demonstrate excellence in the quality of project submission. They must complete at least six projects within one type of rating system: Building Design and Construction, Interior Design and Construction or Building Operations and Maintenance. Past work is reviewed by the GBCI review team for overall completeness, quality and consistency, and the quality of each submission must improve with each submission.
Organizations that demonstrate and maintain high-quality project submissions through LEED Proven Provider receive significant benefits, such as greater access to a LEED reviewer and recognition from USGBC for their sustained track record of high-quality project submissions. The GBCI works to deliver preliminary reviews in approximately two weeks instead of the typical four to eight weeks for the non-Proven Provider firms. Proven Provider firms are also given preferential treatment and guaranteed a more streamlined and faster review/certification process. The submission and final LEED certification process is now reduced to as little as 45 days, where in the past, the process could take more than three months.
As a Proven Provider, Vertegy now has access to these special privileges, which will greatly benefit clients looking to streamline the LEED certification process of their buildings. The firm helped more than 15 projects achieve LEED certification under this designation during the initial pilot program and expects to add two additional projects to that total in the next month.
“The ability to guide and bring projects through the LEED certification process is essential, and it is also critical to do this in an effective, affordable manner,” said Thomas Taylor, Principal and Co-Founder of Vertegy, LLC. “We are thrilled the USGBC/GBCI selected us as one of the first Proven Providers so we can better serve our clients, while continuing to produce cost-effective solutions and aesthetically beautiful green buildings where form follows function.”
For more information regarding the LEED® Proven Provider™ program and application process, visit the USGBC’s website at www.USGBC.org.
About Vertegy
Vertegy, which is derived from combining the Latin root for green and strategy, provides clients with design, procurement and construction consulting services for green and sustainable facilities. Since its creation in February 2005, the company’s mission has focused on helping clients gain certification for their projects from various nationally and internationally recognized certification bodies, such as the US Green Building Council (USGBC), which provides LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. The company is recognized as the foremost leader in the application of sustainable strategies in the country. For more information, visit www.vertegyconsultants.com.
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For more information, contact:
Pamela Powell Thomas Taylor
The Hauser Group OR Vertegy
314.436.9090 314.399.9990