Away from home and living green
By BRYAN F. YURCAN

Eric Fleming is hoping to start a trend in temporary corporate housing.

Fleming began Compass Corporate Housing in 2006 after 10 years in the industry because he wanted to use energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products and amenities in the housing he offered. And he hopes others in his field will do the same.

“I saw an opportunity to become a different type of housing company and company in general,” he said. “I wanted to be more conscious of the products I use, how I run the office, and how I train my employees. It’s about not being wasteful, and it starts with the products I use.”

Some of those products he uses at Compass’ Stamford, Conn.-based office include 100 percent recycled paper.

Fleming also takes advantage of natural lighting to illuminate the office about 90 percent of the time, he estimates.

Fleming’s office is on the ground level of the Biltmore building in downtown Stamford, Conn., and has slanted windows that run up the length of the office, allowing him to take advantage of the sun.

Fleming also takes those same principles and applies them to the corporate housing the company provides.

Fleming stocks his apartments with recycled paper towels, toilet paper, tissues and laundry soaps.

He also purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs) from a company called Sterling Planet, a national clean-energy company. RECs are the property rights to the environmental benefits from generating electricity from renewable energy sources. A certifying agency gives each REC a unique identification number to make sure it doesn’t get double-counted. The green energy is then fed into the electrical grid (by mandate), and the accompanying REC can then be sold on the open market.

Taking these extra steps to furnish Compass’ temporary housing costs extra money, but Fleming believes the tradeoff is worthwhile.

He said the company has added clients who have heard about the “green” outfitting that Compass housing offers.

“Our average stay is 90 days, and these are usually higher-end professionals on a short- or long-term project. These (environmentally friendly measures) are the kind things they want to hear about,” he said.

Fleming has been in the corporate-housing industry since 2001. Currently, Compass offers housing options in Westchester and Fairfield County, Conn., with plans to move into New York City and Boston.

Fleming said his goal is to have 250 housing units by the end of 2008 and 400 by the end of 2009.

And in February, he will be making a presentation at the annual meeting of the industry’s trade group, the Corporate Housing Providers Association, on the benefits of utilizing green products and ideas.

“I want to help other companies do this,” he said. “Some of these products aren’t being purchased as much, which is why they’re more expensive. I think as long as we all join forces in this initiative, the more affordable it will become.”

 

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