Our newest initiative in eco-friendliness is the conversion of our entire fleet of 22 construction pick-ups to Ford's fuel-efficient, low emission hybrid, a vehicle that has a small gas engine combined with an electric motor that will significantly decrease W&M's carbon footprint. Eventually, all of the W&M vehicles, including the leasing team's and maintenance division's vehicles, will be replaced with hybrid sedans and SUVs, allowing W&M, over time, to reduce materially the discharge of harmful carbon emissions that play a critical role in global warming. "As business leaders in Fairfield and Westchester Counties, we feel it is our responsibility to demonstrate, through our actions, our commitment to helping the environment," says Tim Yahn, president of W&M Construction, which is the first W&M division to begin using the hybrids. "We understand our industry's impact on the environment, and we are trying to be responsible stewards of the earth and reduce the amount of carbon we emit." The decision to go to hybrids is part of W&M's overall commitment to improving the environment, which includes our recent involvement in sustainable design projects and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rated work, such as the plans for Metro Tower at the Stamford Transportation Center to be LEED-certified, Gold. The firm also received a GreenCircle Award in 2005 from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for its electronics-recycling program, through which the firm has collected and recycled electronics from tenants throughout the portfolio. It is an extension of the firm's Universal Waste recycling project for fluorescent lamps and batteries. "We pride ourselves on integrating green technologies into our business," Mr. Yahn adds. "The hybrids reflect this ongoing mandate from our ownership, the Malkin family. W&M will be able to save a lot of gasoline, thus reducing dependence on foreign oil, as well as reducing carbon emissions where we do business." In fact, as fuel-efficient vehicles, getting about 36 miles per gallon, the hybrids are extremely cost-efficient, in addition to being green.
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