Carter Pilots Day Cleaning Program

Firm Plans to Expand Pilot to Other Buildings if Successful

ATLANTA, GA (Jan. 14, 2010)—Carter, one of the country’s leading full-service commercial real estate firms since 1958, has kicked off a day cleaning pilot program in Atlanta designed to reduce electricity use and costs while providing better service to owners and tenants.

Carter initiated its day cleaning pilot program at its headquarters building at 171 17th Street (bottom right photo)  in the Atlantic Station mixed-use development in Midtown Atlanta.

The office tower owner, an affiliate of JP Morgan, has endorsed the pilot and is strongly supportive. If successful, Carter plans to work with other owners to roll out the program at other Carter-managed properties across the country.

The potential impact is large because Carter manages approximately 25 million square feet of property across the country. Earlier this month, Carter’s Property and Facility Management Group was ranked No. 4 on Atlanta Business Chronicle’s List of Atlanta’s Top 25 Commercial Property Management Companies.

Like most property management companies, associates on Carter’s cleaning crew traditionally have cleaned tenant offices in Carter-managed buildings after work hours. This requires several additional hours of office lighting and climate control and a reliance on workers who typically come to work after finishing another job.

Now, cleaning crews at 171 17th Street work in two shifts: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Initial indications show the switch to day cleaning will reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent.

“The day cleaning program is part of Carter’s overall strategy to help our clients reduce energy use at the buildings we manage for them,” said Holly Hughes, (top right photo)  chief administrative officer and head of Carter’s Property and Facility Management Group. “We want to stay on the leading edge of ways to incorporate greener cleaning methods, and day cleaning is an ideal way.”

So far, response from tenants has been very positive. The switch to day cleaning allows crew members to build a rapport with workers in the offices. The crews come to learn the tenants’ schedules and preferences.

“Overall, the day cleaning program has been very well received. We even had one tenant e-mail to let us know how happy she is with the day cleaning program,” said Rutledge Beacham, (top left photo) vice president of Property and Facility Management. “This is a culture change – tenants are getting used to people cleaning their work areas during the day.”

Kathryn M. Stephens, who works at Jacoby Development, a tenant in 171 17th Street, sent Carter’s management office an e-mail to let the team know how pleased she is with the switch to day cleaning.

“[The associate assigned to clean our offices] is pleasant and thorough, keeps it very low key and really seems to care,” Stephens writes in the e-mail. “I told him … how much we appreciate his efforts.”

The cleaning company Carter has retained at the 171 17th Street tower, ICS Contract Services, takes several steps to be as unobtrusive as possible. These include using battery-powered vacuums and making sure not to enter an office when the occupant is on the phone or in a meeting.

In addition to energy savings, day cleaning has created savings in staffing at 171 17th Street. Before the switch to day cleaning, a crew of 25 part-time workers had been cleaning the tower. After the switch, a crew of 11 full-time cleaners is used at the building.

The full-time staff has exhibited more energy because cleaning the tower is their main job as opposed to a second job in the evening. Moreover, the cleaning staff receives higher wages and receives benefits associated with full-time employment.

 For additional information on Carter, please visit http://www.carterusa.com/.

Media Contact:  Tony Wilbert, Wilbert News Strategies LLC, 404-888-3091 office/404-405-3656 cell, twilbert@wilbertnewsstrategies.com