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 Leave your mark—it’s the motto at Mark Miller Subaru, a retailer with two locations in Salt Lake City, UT, dedicated to sustainable practices that leave a mark inside the organization and in the local community. The retailer combines solar power, recycled building materials, tree planting and a green workplace culture to make a lasting impact.
Internal Impact
Mark Miller Subaru’s eco-friendly efforts begin with a green culture. The Miller family, including owner, Mark Miller; and his son and general manager, Jeff Miller; values environmental stewardship. Their enthusiasm is captured in the retailer’s environmental mission and is a key part of operations at both locations. All associates are encouraged to participate in the company’s sustainable programs, which helps build a strong green internal culture. Employees also take these ideas and put them in place in their own homes.
Green activities at both retail locations include recycling car wash water, skylights and low-flow restroom fixtures. Mark Miller Subaru is also Utah’s only Subaru retailer powered by solar energy, with more than 60% of electricity used produced on site. The system features roof- and ground-mounted solar panels.
In addition, during remodeling at both facilities, sustainable building resources were used inside and out. The interior includes low VOC paint and sealants, as well as green flooring and wall coverings. AutoStone tile, found throughout the facility, is made in part from recycled materials in a plant committed to green manufacturing. The carpet’s backing is made partially from recycled car windshields and safety glass, and wall coverings contain post-industrial recycled content. Outside, panels made from 85% recycled aluminum clad the building, and a cool roof reflects sunlight and reduces the use of air conditioning.
Although the upfront cost of these materials was more significant than traditional building supplies, Michael Aguilar, director of marketing at Mark Miller Subaru, says the choice to invest was a good one. “The material is really solid. Our floors look great.” He adds, “We’re a busy retailer, and the wear and tear definitely is not showing, so I would highly recommend it.”
Community Impact
Beyond the Mark Miller Subaru facilities, the retailer is making a mark on the local community through conservation and waste reduction activities. It joined Project Oxygen in January 2013. It’s a tree-planting partnership with TreeUtah, a nonprofit dedicated to planting trees across the state. Project Oxygen is a one-for-one Love Promise initiative—one tree is planted locally for each new and used vehicle sold at both Mark Miller Subaru locations. The retailer’s initial goal was 4,000 trees. Four years and 16,000 trees later, there are no plans to stop or slow down. There are so many trees to plant, the retailer is sponsoring an additional planting day in 2017.
Aguilar explains that Project Oxygen aligns with the Subaru Loves the Earth mantra. As one of the retailer’s “flagship partnerships,” he says it has helped set Mark Miller Subaru apart in the automotive retail market. In addition to the positive impact on business, Aguilar explains that the retailer sees the project as “the right thing to do.”
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This summer, Mark Miller Subaru collaborated with the Utah Recycling Alliance to sponsor a series of collection events for items traditionally difficult to recycle, such as car batteries, prescription drugs, and cell phones. The events gave local residents an opportunity to get materials out of their homes and keep the items out of the landfill. It’s a project the retailer plans to continue in the future.
A fall conservation event in partnership with Hawk Watch International gave community members and Mark Miller Subaru employees a chance to build nearly 100 nesting boxes for the American Kestrel, a bird species whose population is on the decline. The retailer hosted the event and participants enjoyed music and food, built nesting boxes, and had a chance to see live raptors. Aguilar says the boxes allow Hawk Watch International to monitor the American Kestrel’s local population and learn more about their migration patterns, diet and predators in an effort to determine how to save the species.
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Future Impact
Mark Miller Subaru is excited about a project designed to showcase its current and future green practices. A living green wall is under construction in the showroom and scheduled to be completed soon. Not only will it improve the air inside a retailer located in a city known for poor air quality, it will also serve as artwork and include signage about Subaru Loves the Earth and Mark Miller Subaru’s local environmental efforts.
Aguilar says he hopes the wall is a starting point for conversations about the retailer’s current efforts and goals for the future, including one day becoming a zero-landfill facility.
“There are a lot of things that we’ve yet to do that we want to do,” Aguilar added, “and we’re going to continue working really hard to make sure that we do leave a positive mark on our community.”
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