Located near the Michelin North America headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina, the new Southeast National Distribution Center, U70 Woodruff, is the largest warehouse of the Michelin Group worldwide, equivalent to 57 football fields. When fully operational by the end of 2019, it will serve approximately 60 percent of the customers in North America.
This state-of-the-art facility was designed with a focus on sustainability, a detail that is evident from the energy efficiency of the technology to the careful planning and use of natural species in the site’s landscaping.
Since groundbreaking in November 2016, 96 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfill. Dirt and rocks from earth-moving were re-used in construction, while timber was saved to create office furniture and make mulch for the site. Native azaleas were also removed prior to construction and re-used in the site landscaping.
The warehouse sits on a 461-acre site, which includes 20 percent made of protected wetlands and upland buffer areas that are protected from future development. It also creates a favorable habitat for the native populations as well as for the attraction of other native species such as the Bobwhite Quail.
Energy savings of 63 percent are projected above a baseline energy model, thanks to the use of low-consumption equipment like LED lighting. Additionally, emissions from handling equipment have been eliminated with the inclusion of hydrogen-fueled vehicles within the warehouse.
U70 Woodruff is in process of being LEED certified. LEED – for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.
To learn more about the site’s sustainable attributes, please see the brochure available for download with this article.