Instrumental in VSP reaching LEED Platinum status was PRIDE Industries’ custodial process, which involves using its branded, EPA-recognized products and procedures.
Way back in 2007, vision care leader VSP Vision tapped like-minded PRIDE Industries to help it achieve LEED Platinum certification for its headquarters in Rancho Cordova, CA. This was the beginning of a decades-long partnership.
The two companies have much in common. VSP Vision includes the country’s only not-for-profit vision care company, focused on fulfilling a distinct purpose — to empower human potential through sight. PRIDE Industries is a pioneering social enterprise that provides jobs for people with disabilities, employing skilled workers for companies looking to build inclusive workforces.
Instrumental in reaching LEED Platinum status for VSP was PRIDE Industries’ PRIDEClean™ custodial process, which involves using its branded, EPA-recognized products and procedures. At the time, only 77 buildings in the world had reached Platinum certification.
“Our services team worked with VSP to score eight points towards LEED Platinum certification,” said Tim Vanover, business development director for PRIDE Industries. “A high performance green cleaning program, waste management/recycling protocols, and sustainable purchasing methods contributed to the score.”
Continued Partnership
But that was just the beginning. The companies have since worked together to conduct trash audits to reduce VSP Vision’s landfill waste and meet city mandates, deployed robotic vacuums for more sustainable floor cleaning, and, most recently, implemented decontamination procedures to comply with COVID-19 sanitation protocols.
When VSP Vision couldn’t find a vendor to meet sustainability requirements for its 35,000-square-foot Ohio call center, PRIDE Industries stepped in to design and implement a process that passed CIMS-GB audits.
“We established benchmarks modeled after the services we were already providing at VSP’s California locations, including a web-based contract management system,” Vanover said.
“The team at PRIDE Industries is incredibly responsive, reliable, dependable, trustworthy, and efficient,” said Janelle Darling, senior manager of facilities operations at VSP Vision. “They consistently meet VSP’s high expectations. You can see that the PRIDE Industries employees have a clear purpose and passion for what they do.”
Fast-forward to today, and 56% of PRIDE Industries’ staff who work for VSP Vision have a documented disability. One of them is Marylyn Jackson, a custodian since 2017. “I make the workplace feel hospitable so that VSP Vision’s employees feel more motivated to do well in their jobs,” Jackson said. “That’s what I’m here for!” The buildings that she oversees routinely score high on audits, and her supervisors report constant compliments on her friendly attitude and excellent work.
The PRIDE Industries team also maintains a 30% lower OSHA incidence rate than the national industry standard, which minimizes work interruptions and lowers customer costs.
The story of PRIDE Industries began in 1966 when a group of parents formed a nonprofit to create brighter futures for their adult children with disabilities. Since then, the organization has grown to more than 6,000 employees working at 395 sites, maintaining more than 100 facilities. It is the nation’s leading employer of people with disabilities and other barriers to employment, including military veterans and former foster youth.
PRIDE Industries partners with companies of all sizes, helping them achieve their inclusion goals while enjoying the benefits of hiring people with diverse abilities. Statistically speaking, employees with disabilities boast higher retention rates, lower absenteeism, and higher punctuality than those without disabilities.
This article originally appeared on facilityexecutive.com
Need help with your facility operations?
PRIDE Industries is a social enterprise delivering business excellence to public and private organizations nationwide.
