specialreport

GIVEN ITS STATED COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENtal stewardship and green practices, it’s probably no surprise that in designing its new DC, retail co-op Recreational Equipment Inc. went all out where sustainable design is concerned. Rather than just doing the easy stuff—say, throwing in some extra insulation and adding a bike rack—the co-op, better known as REI, designed an ecofriendly showplace that incorporates solar panels, recycling systems, and water conservation features both inside and outside the building.

The new facility, which opened in July, is located in the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear, Ariz., and complements REI’s existing DCs in Sumner, Wash., and Bedford, Pa. It was designed using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. REI hopes the project will earn a LEED Platinum certification, which is the top rating and one that’s difficult for a distribution facility to achieve. At the very least, it believes the project will receive the next-highest rating, LEED Gold+.

To understand why REI approached the project the way it did, it helps to know a little about REI itself. Founded in 1938 by a group of 23 mountain climbing buddies, REI is a national outdoor retail co-op whose mission is to inspire, educate, and outfit members for a lifetime of outdoor adventures and stewardship. The co-op, which boasts 6

million members, operates 148 retail stores across the country and runs a healthy online business selling gear for hiking,

The great
indoors
It’s known for selling gear and apparel for
the great outdoors, but when it went to
build its latest DC, REI turned its focus inward,
creating a facility that is both ecofriendly and
worker-friendly.