Spokane’s Mountain Gear receives sustainable retailer of the year award
Spokane's Mountain Gear has been named the Sustainable Retailer of the year at the 2012 Winter Outdoor Retailer Show, held in Salt Lake.
The award honors outdoor retailers who embody solid entrepreneurship and work on behalf of the community.
"This award honors exemplary retailers and sets a bar for all other retailers to achieve, with the ultimate goal of establishing a standard for specialty retail excellence nationwide,” SNEWS President Michael Hodgson said.
Mountain Gear President Paul Fish took the challenge of a reduced footprint when he decided to relocate the corporate offices and distribution center to a new building, a former manufacturing facility.
Using LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines, Mountain Gear conducted an extensive renovation to install skylights, windows, energy management systems, and drought-tolerant landscaping. Much of the project used reused and recycled materials. Low-flow plumbing, energy-efficient lighting and filtered water.
The company also actively promotes transportation options, including a bike purchase program that has helped many company workers to choose to bike instead of drive to work.