Registered with the Canada Green Building Council, the Stratford, Ont., Toyota facility is the first automotive dealership in the country to achieve Gold Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. In recognition of their LEED Certification achievement, Stratford Toyota was presented with a commemorative plaque from Toyota Canada's Chief Environmental Officer and Managing Director, Stephen Beatty, during their grand opening celebration in recognition of their achievement - setting a new benchmark for automotive dealerships across Canada.

The brand new, $4 million dollar state-of-the-art Toyota dealership at 925 Erie Street in Stratford, Ontario, goes above and beyond to exceed customer expectations, while at the same time reducing its environmental footprint. In addition to being the first Toyota dealership in Canada to achieve LEED Certification, it is also the first building in the community of Stratford to receive this distinction.

Among many other efforts, Stratford Toyota took the following steps to meet the strict LEED Gold Certification criteria:

• Over 28% of the materials used in the construction of the facility were of a recycled nature;
• Diverted over 97% of all construction waste (over 100 metric tonnes) from landfill;
• Energy conservation technologies were incorporated into the facility design resulting in a reduction of energy consumption by 37% compared to a typical building of the same size. These technologies include energy efficient lighting in combination with natural lighting, in-floor heating and highly insulated wall panels to retain heat.
• Integrated an 8,000 litre storm water cistern recapturing system, which reduces potable city water use by more than 99%;
• Total water use has been reduced by over 84% through the latest in water efficiency approaches such as the use of low flow toilets and drought resistant landscaping
• Installation of a Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) roof (white vinyl type material) repels the suns rays in the summer months and serves to insulate the building during winter months.

Stratford Toyota, a 26,100 square foot facility which opened to the public in early 2010, is expected to employ 18 staff members. They are committed to providing excellent customer service in new and used vehicle sales, as well as parts and service operations. The new dealership offers its customers a convenient and comfortable experience featuring 4 vehicle service drive-thru bays, which are also a part of the open concept showroom and service reception area.

"We're proud to join the community of Stratford, and to do so while meeting LEED Gold Certification requirements is a great accomplishment for us," says John Strickland, Dealer Principal of Stratford Toyota. "Environmental leadership is a key pillar of Toyota's philosophy, and Stratford Toyota is committed to contributing to a better future for our customers."

toyota.ca

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