"Marathon Asset Management aspires to be a thought leader in socially responsible corporate actions, which starts with the premier environmentally responsible building, a milestone for eco-friendly development in New York," said Bruce Richards, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marathon Asset Management. "By initiating a comprehensive evaluation of sustainability, Marathon decided to invest in the future of our firm, employees, city and planet, as our new building's energy saving systems reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The green building combined with Marathon's green initiatives will increase the health and long run productivity of our employees."
To highlight a few of its many features, the building collects rainwater and recycles it to irrigate green spaces and also to flush toilets, saving millions of gallons each year. The floor to ceiling double glass blocks UV rays yet permits maximum natural light to enter the premises, and the electric lighting adjusts by automatically dimming during bright sunlight. A state-of-the-art onsite 5.1-megawatt co-generation plant provides a clean, efficient power source for the building's base energy requirements. A thermal storage system in the cellar produces ice in the evening when electricity usage is lowest, then uses this ice to cool air and reduce the air conditioning load during peak daytime hours. Carbon dioxide monitors automatically adjust the amount of fresh air when necessary, and the unique filtration system cleans air at both intake and exhaust, so that the air leaving the building is actually cleaner than when it entered.
Marathon has implemented significant changes in their corporate culture with an environmentally cognizant approach that clearly reflects a new view of corporate responsibility, including:
-- Educating employees as to the importance of living green and
distributing the book "Go Green, Live Rich", by David Bach.
-- Eliminating all plastic water bottles, and replacing them with a
water filtration system that provides clean, fresh tap water.
-- Replacing plastic utensils with metal and disposable cups in favor
of reusable glasses.
-- Insuring that any disposables will be made from sustainable and
bio-degradable material.
-- Serving only organic shade grown, fair trade certified coffee.
-- Replacing disposable cereal containers with bulk dispensers to
reduce waste.
-- Programming printers to support double sided printing to save paper.
-- Providing recycling containers throughout the office space.
Marathon expects that these changes will reduce waste of approximately 70,000 plastic water bottles and save over half a million sheets of paper each year.
"Social responsibility is an important component of Marathon's core values, along with integrity, team work, diversity and professionalism; we encourage and empower our employees to respect the environment. Our newly formed "Green Team" helps to identify and implement environmentally responsible actions which include increased recycling, printing on two sides and conserving energy. We hope that these efforts inspire our employees to be more environmentally conscious not only in the office but in their personal lives as well," said Anthony Fogel, Head of Human Resources.
About Marathon Asset Management, LLC
Marathon Asset Management, LLC is a global asset management company with $11.5 billion in capital under management. Founded in 1998, Marathon maintains its headquarters in New York City, offices in London and Singapore. Marathon employs over 190 professionals who specialize in global debt, equity and real estate. Marathon Asset Management, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, visit the company's web site at http://www.marathonfund.com.
Contact:
Nina Devlin / Guy Potvin
Brunswick Group
212-333-3810
marathon@brunswickgroup.com
