JANSEN CHEVROLET NAMED ONE OF 41 GM 'GREEN DEALERS' IN NATION

GM's Green Dealer program recognizes dealerships that have implemented energy reduction, renewable energy, water conservation, waste-to-landfill reduction and community outreach practices

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Jansen Chevrolet in Germantown is able to show customers that it is a leader in environmental stewardship thanks to a "Green Dealer Program" offered through General Motors.Jansen recently earned the status of being a 2016 Chevrolet Green Dealer Program recipient. According to the automaker, Jansen Chevrolet has a proven track record in areas such as energy reduction, renewable energy use, water conservation efforts, recycling, on-site natural habitats and community outreach.

Owner and general manager Mike Jansen said Jansen Chevrolet has implemented several environmental programs at its new facility at 7801 Illinois Route 161, including:

• 100 percent recyclable materials used in ceiling tile, carpeting, floor tile and glass.
• Energy conserving LED lighting with automatic controls used on its 35 exterior light poles.
• A rotary screw air compressor system which is much more efficient and quieter.
• High-efficient water heaters.
• Preservation of the natural habitat with a two-acre, on-site lake.
• The use of R-11 showroom windows which reduce heat gain from the sun in the summer to keep the 1,200-square-foot showroom cooler. In the winter, the glass lets the warm, solar rays enter while blocking the heat from getting out.
• On-site metal and paper recycling. Plus using waste oil for heating the entire 11,000-square-foot service department.

"The entire dealership's sustainability performance is important to our customers, employees and the community, as well as how it delivers operational efficiency," Mike Jansen said.

To be recognized as a "Green Dealer," dealerships complete a performance assessment that GM's Green Dealer support team validates and evaluates against specific criteria. A dealer's continuous improvement year after year will lead to ongoing annual recognition. Jansen Chevrolet is one of 41 dealerships in the country - and only the second in Illinois - that GM has certified since the program launched in 2015.

"When designing and then constructing our new dealership, I depended on the ability and proficiency of all our contractors," Jansen said. "Their outstanding performance enabled a very well built and energy-efficient building that was worthy of the Green Dealer certification."

Many companies were involved in the year-long building project. Most notable and appreciated are Walt Shepherd Consulting, Brendel and Associates Architects, Poettker Construction, Kohrmann Electric, Toennies Heating and Cooling, Gelly Excavating, Kohrmann Brothers Masonry, Gerstner Plumbing and Albers Painting.

"GM has long been committed to being a leader in environmental stewardship, and we're proud that our dealers share this commitment to serve and improve the communities where we work and live," said Kurt McNeil, GM vice president of U.S. Sales Operations.

The New Green Dealer program aligns with GM's company-wide efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. GM designed the program to encourage dealers to use these voluntary efforts and build a network for sharing best practices to help others begin to advance their sustainability journey.