Assurant Specialty Property’s Ohio Service Center Earns EPA’s ENERGY STAR®

The 50,000 square foot building housing a call center and other support functions for Assurant Specialty Property's Ohio insurance service center is the first commercial building in Springfield, Ohio, to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star. Assurant became a national partner in the EPA's Energy Star program in 2009. This is the first Assurant facility in the United States to earn the EPA's Energy Star for superior energy performance.

Springfield, Ohio (PRWEB) February 1, 2010 -- Assurant Specialty Property announced that Building C at its Springfield, Ohio, insurance service center has earned the ENERGY STAR® from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the federal agency’s recognition for superior energy performance.

Assurant Specialty Property said Building C is the first Assurant facility and the first commercial building in the city of Springfield to earn Energy Star certification. Building C is one of three similar-size buildings that make up the Springfield service center. The 50,000 square foot building houses a call center and other support functions for Assurant Specialty Property’s Lending Solutions business.

To earn Energy Star, buildings must meet strict energy-efficiency specifications. Improving the energy efficiency of a building reduces its operating costs and the amount of pollution emitted into the environment.

Assurant Specialty Property, which is part of Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ), is a leading provider of creditor-placed homeowners insurance, direct-marketed products, collateral protection programs and related outsourcing services. Its Springfield service center, with more than 1,750 employees, is Springfield’s largest private sector employer.

Michael Greenwood, vice president and manager of the Springfield center, said that Assurant became a national partner in the EPA’s Energy Star program last fall. “Our company has made a fundamental commitment to protect the environment through the continuous improvement of our energy performance,” he said.

Assurant businesses currently occupy about three million square feet of office space throughout the United States. “The company’s goal for 2010 is to develop processes to reduce energy consumption,” Greenwood said. “If we can achieve Energy Star certification for additional facilities over the next several years, we will be well on our way to meeting our energy savings and environmental objectives.”

Denny Stilwell, director, Engineering and Operations for Assurant’s Real Estate and Facilities Management organization, credited Springfield Facilities Manager William Roberts and his team for the special effort that went into earning Energy Star for the Springfield center building.

The Springfield service center is located off East Leffel Lane near the I-70-South Limestone Street interchange. The 150,000 square foot complex opened in July 2002.

“Building C is a well-built and well-maintained building that currently operates 60 hours a week,” Stilwell said. “The Springfield facilities staff has been very proactive in addressing energy-related issues and making sure that all energy-consuming equipment in the building is operating as it is designed.”

Energy Star was introduced by the EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Products and buildings that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. Nearly 9,000 buildings across the nation have earned the Energy Star for superior energy efficiency over the past decade and the numbers continue to climb daily. Energy Star buildings typically use 35 percent less energy and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than average buildings.

For more information about Energy Star, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1.888.STAR.YES.

About Assurant and Assurant Specialty Property
Assurant Specialty Property businesses are leading providers of creditor-placed homeowners insurance, direct-marketed products, collateral protection programs and related outsourcing services. They develop, underwrite, market and administer specialty property and personal lines of insurance through collaborative relationships with leading home mortgage companies, financial institutions, manufactured home builders and dealers, auto finance companies, property management companies and managing general agents. Assurant Specialty Property serves clients and their customers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. www.assurantspecialtyproperty.com

Assurant Specialty Property is part of Assurant, a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and select worldwide markets. Its four key businesses – Assurant Solutions, Assurant Specialty Property, Assurant Health and Assurant Employee Benefits – partner with clients who are leaders in their industries and who have built leadership positions in a number of specialty insurance market segments worldwide. Assurant, a Fortune 500 company and part of the S&P 500, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIZ. Assurant has over $25 billion in assets and $8 billion in annual revenue. www.assurant.com

ENERGY STAR is a registered mark owned by the U.S. government.

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