Posty Cards Inc. Earns LEED Platinum Certification

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

A small Kansas City manufacturer, Posty Cards Inc., attained the highest level of sustainable certification on April 16 when it was awarded the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED platinum certification.

Located at 1600 Olive St. in Kansas City’s urban core, Posty Cards’ facility underwent a $6.4 million renovation and expansion which saw the manufacturing plant grow from 22,000 to 45,000 square feet and nearly double its energy efficiency. Although the facility doubled its size, the energy use is projected to increase by only five percent as the carbon footprint per square foot was dramatically reduced.

The building’s sustainable features include a large solar photovalvic panel which generates more than 11 percent of the total power use, high-efficiency variable refrigerant volume HVAC, bio-retention and underground basins for managing storm water runoff.

Posty Cards took advantage of incentives and other forms of support including a solar rebate from Kansas City Power & Light. The Kansas City Star reports that Posty Cards obtained a 10-year local property tax abatement and $2 million from the federal New Market and Tax Credit program.

Lance Jessee, chairman of the company board, also thanked U.S. Bank and its community development corporation for their support in financing the project.

Posty Cards’ facility is just one of approximately seven manufacturing plants in the country to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The project design and construction team included McHenry Shaffer Mitchell Architects, PKMR Engineers (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Design), KH Engineering (Structural Design), SK Design Group (Civil Design), Patti Banks Associates (Landscape Design) and Turner Special Projects (Construction Manager).

Photo Courtesy of: www.postycards.com