CaraGreen will be at the 3rd annual Chicago Comes to Charlotte event taking place at Modular Designs. Find out about the latest NeoCon introductions. Lunch 11am-2pm, Social Beverage & Appetizers 5pm-8pm.
Habitat for Humanity Greensboro is hosting a Blitz Build in September called Raising Roofs and UltraTouch Cotton Insulation is being donated to support the cause. Six houses will be built during a five day period. All of the volunteers building the houses will be local professional builders. On the first day of the build, Monday, September 20, builders will learn about many of the new green products being used on the build. Stacy Glass from CaraGreen will be demonstrating how to work with UltraTouch insulation. To learn more about UltraTouch, click here.
CaraGreen will be displaying our materials at the NKBA Eastern Carolinas Chapter "Show Us Your Green" event on August 19, 2010 at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC. This event is intended to not just show you the green products out there, but WHY and HOW they are green!
Registration/Social begins at 5:30 PM
Event begins at 6:00 PM
Heavy Hors d’oeuvres will be served while attendees mingle and learn about sustainable design for the kitchen and bath industry.
Member Registration: $15.00
Non-Member Registration: $25.00
NKBA Endorsed Program student Registration: $5.00
For more information, click here.
CaraGreen, LLC is a distributor of environmentally sustainable building materials. The company seeks a motivated Director of Sales who will be responsible for driving sales in the Eastern United States.
Compensation: For this full-time position, compensation will consist of a base salary that is commensurate with experience and a bonus that is commensurate with performance. Benefits include paid time off, health insurance, and 401k. This position would also be eligible for the company’s profit sharing plan.
Reports to: President
Company: In early 2008, CaraGreen began distributing innovative, high-quality sustainable building materials in the Southeastern United States. The company’s principal office is located in Carrboro, NC, and its warehouse is located in Graham, NC. With green building gaining momentum and permanency in the United States, CaraGreen desires to expand its territory beyond the Southeastern United States to capitalize on this fast growing segment of the building materials market. CaraGreen is a family-owned company whose principals have experience in green design; green product distribution; product, building, and interior design; and the professional services industry.
Responsibilities: The Director of Sales will have overall responsibility for all sales activities of the company. Responsibilities include:
* Establish and manage a network of manufacturers’ reps on the East coast.
* Expand and manage the company’s sales force.
* Prospect for potential new clients, and service existing clients, in the Raleigh/Durham area:
o Architects & Designers
o Fabricators / distributors
o Kitchen and Bath showrooms
o Green retailers
* Identify high profile commercial projects and pursue specification of CaraGreen products.
* Comprehensive use and understanding of company Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database.
* Participate in designated trade shows and trade associations.
* Understand Green Building Certification programs and become an Accredited Professional in the USGBC’s LEED rating system.
* Make professional presentations on products and programs.
* Create and manage sales and marketing expense budgets.
Travel: Travel on the East coast is expected initially to set up rep network, followed by regular travel within the territory thereafter (average 5 - 6 overnights per month).
Experience:
* 10 years outside sales and/or sales management experience required
* Four-year college degree
* Experience with building products preferred
* Experience with manufacturers’ reps preferred
* Interest in environmental sustainability and green products is a plus
Desired Traits: CaraGreen believes the Director of Sales should possess the following traits:
* Opportunistic and entrepreneurial
* Growth-oriented and self-motivated
* Good presentation and speaking skills
* Superior follow-up skills and attention to detail
* Strong work ethic
* Fast learner
* Sales management skills compatible with company culture
* Must be a team player
Direct resumes to jobs@caragreen.com.
One of the building industry’s most environmentally friendly products just got a whole lot greener and a bit less confusing. UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, commonly referred to as “recycled blue jean insulation”, is now sourced entirely of post-consumer blue jeans instead of the post-industrial denim scraps it was previously made from. The recycled jean material has made its way through the used clothing chain without being sold and has reached a point where it would typically either go to a landfill or be incinerated. Now, this material will be put to good use in UltraTouch cotton insulation.
Additionally, UltraTouch’s packaging has been improved to increase its product per truckload by 15 percent. This significantly lowers the product’s carbon footprint and makes shipping easier.
For more information on UltraTouch, which can contribute to 12 LEED credits, contact CaraGreen.
CaraGreen has added a new lunch and learn to our list of educational offerings. The course titled How to Assess Materials Sustainable Attributes – Breaking Down Labels and Certifications, provides 1 AIA CES HSW credit. As more sustainable materials are introduced to the market, it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out how to compare products. This course on Labels and Certifications helps clarify which products can meet your project requirements and how you can distinguish truly sustainable features from invalidated claims. The course considers the best techniques for assessing product sustainability based on a single attribute or considering a product’s full life cycle. We will simplify the process of determining what makes a product sustainable and why. Learning objectives include:
-Define the connection between Buildings, Interiors and Material Selection
-Learn Health, Environmental and Social Impacts of Material Selection
-Examine what makes a good label or certification program
-Identify which sustainable materials meet your project needs today
Other CaraGreen course offerings currently include: Building Materials for Sustainable Interiors, Life Cycle Analysis Tools and Evaluation Methods for Sustainable Interiors, Sustainable Surfacing Materials, and Bamboo Flooring & Plywood in a Sustainable Design Environment
For more information on having CaraGreen present at your firm, contact Lisa.
Gap invites customers to "Recycle Your Blues" and get 30% off new Gap denim. Cotton Incorporated will be working with Gap to launch the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive in about 1,000 Gap stores. From March 5 through March 14, consumers can donate old denim at their local Gap, which will then be given a “new life” by being converted into UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation, and donated to communities in need. Consumers who donate their denim will receive a 30% discount off new denim purchases. Since the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® denim drive program began, enough denim has been recycled to create natural cotton fiber insulation for over 540 homes.
The in-store program will be featured on Gap’s online consumer site, www.gap.com, as well as the COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® Web site, www.CottonFromBluetoGreen.org.
For more information on UltraTouch Cotton Fiber Insulation and 2010 homeowner tax incentives, contact us.
Plyboo has obtained two important indoor air quality certifications: FloorScore, for its PlybooPure flooring; and Indoor Advantage Gold, for its PlybooPure plywood. While Plyboo has always been a leader in sustainable bamboo products and has met CA 1350 requirements for indoor air quality for over two years, these commonly recognized labels will help specifiers and consumers to have complete confidence that their bamboo products have been third-party tested and have been verified to have been manufacturered with non-toxic adhesives.
FloorScore, developed by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) in conjunction with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), tests and certifies hard surface flooring and flooring adhesive products for compliance with rigorous indoor air quality emissions requirements. Individual volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde, are evaluated using health-based specifications. Under the FloorScore program, manufacturers must submit a written quality control plan which includes strict requirements for supply chain management. This process strongly encourages the identification of chemical sources, helping manufacturers to develop materials specifications. By purchasing input materials with low concent rations of the target VOCs, manufacturers gain increasing confidence that their products will meet criteria for certification. Products bearing the FloorScore label meet the indoor air emissions criteria of:
-Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
-LEED® Green Building Rating Systems
-Green Guide for Health Care
Indoor Advantage Gold is based on a program established by the California Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) that uses procedures developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that have been subjected to extensive peer review and public comment. In order for a product to qualify for Indoor Advantage Gold certification, modeled concentrations for individual VOCs in classrooms and offices must not exceed one-half of the defined CREL threshold. Given that other (uncertified) products and materials in the building may be sources for the same chemicals, the conservative standard set for Indoor Advantage Gold certification is intended to ensure that individual occupants’ overall exposure to any one of these chemicals does not exceed the CREL.
The Indoor Advantage Gold certification conforms to the criteria of the following standards:
-USGBC LEED criteria for EQ4.4 (composite wood and agri-fiber products)
-ANSI/BIFMA X7.1-2006 Low-emitting office furniture systems and seating
-Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
-California 01350 Special Environmental Requirements
-California Department of General Service (DGS) Indoor Air Quality Specifications for Open Panel Office Furniture
For more information on these PlybooPure products, visit our website or request samples.
Local Distributor Hires Sales Manager to Expand in Mid-Atlantic
Carrboro, N.C. (November 17, 2009) – CaraGreen, a distributor of sustainable architectural materials, announced that it has hired Geoff Binnick as Mid-Atlantic Sales Manager. Mr. Binnick’s focus will be building the Mid-Atlantic territory, identifying new customer opportunities, and growing the dealer network. He will work with developers, designers, and contractors to ensure specification and use of CaraGreen products. Geoff’s sales territory will stretch from North Carolina to Maryland.
Prior to joining CaraGreen, Mr. Binnick spent eight years with Shaw Industries, specializing in sales of green materials for all facets of the commercial sector. His experience focuses on building and managing quickly growing markets, developing relationships, and providing training for customers and other sales staff. He is a 2001 graduate of North Carolina State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Textile and Apparel Management. Mr. Binnick serves on the Steering Committee for the Triangle City Center of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).
“We are excited to have Geoff join our team and help us expand into new markets along the East Coast,” says Stacy Glass, president of CaraGreen. “His experience in growing sales territories combined with his success with green interior materials makes him a terrific asset to our team and our growing customer base.”
CaraGreen provides sustainable products that reduce the environmental impact of materials used in development. Its products also reduce or eliminate traditional toxic chemicals that contribute to poor indoor air quality. Many of CaraGreen’s portfolio products contribute to credits for the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
On November 10th, the AIA will be offering 3 Continuing Education Seminars on one day in Raleigh, NC:
-Building Materials for Sustainable Interiors (updated for LEED 2009) and Life Cycle Assessment
-The Business and Professional Risks of Integrated Project Delivery
-Don't Let Green Design Cause Red Ink
Stacy Glass from Caragreen will be presenting the Building Materials for Sustainable Interiors and Life Cycle Assessment course from 10AM to 12PM for 2 HSW-SD CEUs.
Course Summary:
Once energy and water efficiencies have been achieved in a project, attention turns to the interior finishes. Carefully considering material selection can help optimize LEED credits in the areas of Materials & Reuse as well as Indoor Environmental Quality and may make the difference between silver and gold or gold and platinum ratings. Even more importantly, careful material section can help to engage tenants in the sustainable intents of the building. This course will examine what material credits are available in LEED-NC and how to choose the right interior products to optimize LEED credits. This course considers a range of new materials being used for building products, including rapidly renewable, high recycled content, local, reclaimed and reused building products available for architects to specify in new projects focused on sustainable design. Actual product samples will be demonstrated.
AND....With so many options and ‘green’ messages in the marketplace, how do you know what is really green and what is green washed? This course is designed to provide architects and designers with a toolkit of options to truly evaluate the sustainability of interior products based on Life Cycle Analysis. Several existing tools are considered, including BEES 4.0, Pharos lens and many of the certification bodies that evaluate green products including SCAQMD, GreenSpec, GreenSeal, GreenGuard and others. Participants are provided with guidelines for evaluating products, an interview guide to truly assess sustainability, and a listing of resources to assist in Life Cycle Analysis of interior building products.
Stacy Glass, President at CaraGreen, has her BA from the University of Minnesota and MBA from Duke University. Stacy has worked on an international level developing and executing start-up strategies for businesses and social enterprises, as well as contributing to rapid growth and expansion by developing new markets and managing multi-million dollar projects.
Register HERE prior to November 6th.
