AutoNation owns and operates 258 new vehicle franchises in 15 states. AutoNation offers a diversified range of automotive products and services. AutoNation has sold over 8 million vehicles, the only auto retailer to achieve this milestone. AutoNation seeks to be the best run, most profitable automotive retailer in the nation. Achieving this new milestone is one reason AutoNation can be proud to have chosen to build and certify Mercedes of Sarasota to the LEED certification process. The AutoNation Mercedes of Sarasota has achieved a LEED certification and obtain a Certified designation on the LEED certification scale. The LEED green building certification program is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. For a company driven to be the best and has a focus on operational excellence building to a third party certification is a natural choice to help in operational costs for their facility. The LEED for New Construction rating system focuses on six credit categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation in Design. As a company focused on operational costs, obtaining a LEED certification is a responsible action to its’ investors, but also to their employees, clients, and environments in which they operate. While this may be the first AutoNation to achieve a LEED certification they are already on their way to achieving their second LEED certification for their new project in Arizona for AutoNation BMW Tucson.
AutoNation’s achievement was cemented in their chosen partners to help them achieve their first LEED certification. Their Architect; Praxis3 worked closely with the builder; Hodgen Construction and green consultant; Two Trails to construct their new location to a green building standard. AutoNation also saw the value of a third party certification in having assurance that their new facility will reach the energy goals set forth by their green building consultant. AutoNation has chosen Two Trails Inc. as their green building consultant and LEED commissioning agent. Two Trails has a unique heritage in the green building industry in achieving many firsts in green building. Two Trails brings an abundance of knowledge that can only be achieved by their commitment to progressively moving forward what can be achieved in building green. “We love the opportunity to work with clients to show them the value of building green and the payback that is given back to their investment and the environment.” stated Drew Smith President of Two Trails Inc.
About Drew Smith | Two Trails, Inc. was founded in 2001, by an innovative builder who set out to change the methodology of conventional building science. Drew realized that the only way to change the industry was to become the resource for the knowledge on how to implement healthy, sustainable projects. He “hung up his hammer” and opened one of the first green building, consulting firms in the nation.
By helping to develop standards for the American Lung Association, National Home Builders Association, Florida Green Building Coalition, and USGBC LEED for Homes by either writing the standard or testing the viability of the standard in the field, he was able to provide his firm with a thorough understanding of the science of building sustainable, healthy, environmentally conscious, and affordable solutions for the building industry. He was “green” before “green” was more than a color. Our President, Drew M. Smith, LEED AP BD+C, was the founding President of the Florida Green Building Coalition and is the first Governor appointed Green Building Commissioner for the State of Florida. Two Trails, Inc. provides hands-on consulting making it easy to achieve certification.
About Two Trails, Inc. | Two Trails, Inc. is one of the nations premier Green Building Consulting firm established in 2001. We provide green consulting services nationwide for commercial, residential, remodeling, and developments seeking to obtain LEED certification and/or LEED commissioning by USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), National Green Building Standard (NGBS), Energy Star by the U.S. Department of Energy, & Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) certifications.