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California Bakery Receives LEED Platinum Award

NEWARK, Calif. — When the owners of FullBloom Baking Co. needed to expand, they purchased a 95,000-square-foot food manufacturing plant with an eye toward making it the greenest wholesale baking company in the nation. 
 
Their efforts were rewarded recently when the U.S. Green Building Council awarded Platinum certification to FullBloom’s management. The project is said to be the first bakery in the nation to receive such a designation, according to reports.
 
Fullbloom, which manufacturers natural baking goods, has always been interested in eco-friendly concepts, according to Karen Trivelsky, CEO and founder. When expanding, LEED certification was something Trivelsky says she actively sought.
 
“Green is part of the company’s DNA, and means doing right for customers, consumers, and the planet,” she says.
 
Landscaping to the existing site was increased by 300 percent with the use of low water-usage plants, increasing groundwater recharge. Water usage has since come in at 30 percent below the base mark for standard water use.
 
FullBloom also purchased renewable energy certificates to push the market toward producing more renewable energy, and to bring the company’s own energy usage to 18 percent below the Title 24 limit. 
 
Project managers also reused building materials, equipment and furnishings, and materials were purchased entirely from the nearby San Francisco Bay Area.
 
Trivelsky worked with an experienced LEED design team, including interior designer Tranquil Spaces, and LEE-consulting firm, Organic Architects, and E.A. Bonnelli Architects. Processes Unlimited Engineering retrofitted the plant over two years.