MCL Business Member Profile: Seagate Properties

Seagate Properties, Inc. joined the Marin Conservation League (MCL) as a Business Member in 1998. “Joining MCL seemed like a perfect move that would align us with the important environmental values of Marin,” said Dennis Fisco, Principal with Seagate. At that time, he and his partners had just moved their headquarters from San Francisco to Marin County, and they wanted more direct involvement with the Marin community. They soon gained certification as a Green Business, and in 2008 were chosen by the Marin County Board of Supervisors as the Golden Spire Business of the Year.

Focused on using and implementing the latest in sustainable practices, Seagate built Phase II of the San Rafael Corporate Center, the first LEED-Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building for lease in the county. Consistent with their commitment to implement energy conservation measures in every facet of their business, Seagate’s office buildings are all Energy Star Rated, with most being LEED rated, including a 60 year-old high rise in downtown San Francisco that received an Energy Star Rating of 100%. In another innovative program, PG&E asked Seagate and other property owners to reduce their energy consumption at one of its Class A office buildings. Seagate responded to this challenge by running fewer elevator and HVAC motors, the biggest users of energy in high rise buildings. Not only did it meet its promised 12% energy reduction, it exceeded it, saving a total of 18% in a one year period! Dennis said that the real payback of this program is “…not all dollars and cents. It’s what we are doing for our tenants, the community and the environment that is an equally important bottom line for Seagate.”

To help keep tenants fit and healthy, while reducing the number of cars on the road, most Seagate properties provide gyms, locker rooms, and showers, making it easier for tenants to bike to work and exercise at lunch time. Seagate’s proudest achievement, however, is the co-creation of the Marin Health and Wellness Center, developed in partnership with the County of Marin. Seagate played a leading role, transforming an industrial complex into a state-of-the-art Health and Wellness Center through a process of “adaptive reuse.” Now, the local community has a health center people can walk and bike to, making health care more accessible while also taking cars off the road. Currently, Seagate’s focus is on sharing its green message with tenants and vendors, which multiplies sustainable best practices throughout all its properties. If you haven’t seen Seagate’s marquee at Mission and Court in San Rafael, check it out! You’ll see regularly changing messages of inspiration as well as community notices. We’re sure you’ll agree that Seagate Properties “walks the talk” in serving their tenants and the community, while meeting that environmental bottom line!

For more information about Marin Conservation League’s Business Members, visit marinconservationleague.org/ resources/business-members.