In a week full of news of layoffs and plant closures, there is some bright news out of McKinstry Co. in Seattle. As you may remember, President Obama visited McKinstry during his presidential campaign and continues to hold the Seattle company as a model of what is to come with green energy.
McKinstry has a history dating back to 1934 when it was founded by Merrill McKinstry. It delivers a wide range of services including mechanical construction, engineering, architectural metal, maintenance and facility management and is a leader in energy conservation and green energy development.
The good news is McKinstry received an expedited permit to expand its Seattle headquarters with a new 120,000-square-foot building. The company expects to create 500 jobs in the next two years.
That promising news follows an announcement earlier this month where McKinstry became one of sixteen service companies to receive a United States Department of Energy Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) that could result in up to $80 billion in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation projects at federally-owned buildings and facilities.
As the single largest user of energy in the United States, the federal government hopes to attain important sustainability goals by concentrating on energy efficiency, water conservation,
and renewable energy.The contract, which has a maximum value of $5 billion to McKinstry over its 10-year life, eliminates technology specific restrictions, and allows federal agencies to use these contracts in federal buildings, nationally and internationally.
McKinstry, a long-time AWB member, has received several awards for excellence. Among them is AWB's Better Workplace Award in 2008 for workplace safety.
Congratulations to McKinstry and thanks for some good news to end a rather glum week.
Don C. Brunell, President (DonB@awb.org)
