MEMBER SPOTLIGHT SMALL BUSINESS, BIG VISION


POSTY CARDS’ PLATINUM JOURNEY Kristina Gleeson, Manager, Copywriting, Printing Industries of America


According to Posty Cards President, Erick Jessee, “You don’t have to be big to be green.” Even before green was “in,” his family-run small business, Posty Cards, was ahead of the pack. With a commitment to sustainability, the expanding business-to-business greeting card printer in Kansas City decided to apply for a LEED certification. They had no idea how much their investment would pay off.


The Magazine 4 9.2015


LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (www.usgbc.org/ leed), headed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is a widely rec- ognized accreditation that companies can apply and qualify for by satisfy- ing standardized prerequisites to achieve either a Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certification level. LEED and similar environmental certifications provide operational benefits as well as valuable third-party endorsement of a company’s green efforts, which is respected by customers, employees, and vendors. In many cases it can also contribute to healthier working conditions and improved employee performance and productivity.


Going for the Gold In 2011, business was expanding, and Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmerica member Posty Cards was more than doubling the size of their building space from 22,000 to 45,000 square feet. The 67-year old com- pany was also looking to rebrand—an opportunity to find a long-term


solution and invest in LEED certification. “We didn’t want to do a conven- tional building,” Jessee says. “If we did, we’d be stuck with it for 25 years.”


For them investing in certification aligned with their existing green busi- ness philosophies. They were addressing their supply chain by sourcing paper from U.S. mills only to ensure verifiable environmental regulation; began a transition to 100% FSC-certified paper; introduced products using paper with 30% to 100% recycled content; moved to low-VOC soy-based inks, low-VOC coatings, and more environmentally benign chemicals; and began a program to recycle office and industrial waste.


Posty Cards’ goal was to achieve a Gold-level LEED certification, or a score of 60 to 79 on a 100-point rating scale. This was a tall order for a small printing business of only 35 employees at the time—and a small budget to match. But, despite the large upfront capital investment required, the company pushed on, confident in the significant cost savings over the life of the building. “You only do it once,” remarks Jessee “so do it right.” And do it right they did. After working with their architect, engineers, and contrac- tor to meet stringent Gold-level LEED criteria, Posty Cards had another big decision to make. “When we tallied up all of our LEED points, we found that we were only three points away from Platinum,” Jessee says. “So we ended up making an additional investment to get to the Platinum level.”


Below—Native landscaping is irrigated thanks to a rainwater collection system. Right—Inside the plant clean air and well-lighted spaces provide efficiency and a comfortable environment for Posty Card employees.


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