Little Neck, NY — Leviton Manufacturing Company, manufacturer of electrical and electronic wiring devices, relocated its global corporate headquarters to Long Island’s Suffolk County on June 15.
The manufacturer outfitted the four-story, 140,000-square-foot facility, located at 201 North Service Road in Melville, with the latest “green building” materials and systems. This includes a variety of Leviton’s own devices and controls — from sophisticated lighting energy management systems to box-mounted designer switches, outlets, and dimmers.
The state-of-the-art office complex serves as a showcase for the company’s installed products and as a model high-performance building. Comprehensive interior renovation of the complex took 18 months to complete and included a new floor-plan design and building systems makeover. Backbone systems, such as Leviton’s daylight harvesting, occupancy detection and high-speed data networking products combine to maximize energy efficiency, enhance operating efficiency and reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
Leviton’s daylight harvesting system is a lighting energy management system that integrates ambient light to reduce energy consumption. The company’s cable management devices provide a high-performance data management infrastructure for fast data access and retrieval. Leviton-brand designer switches, outlets and dimmers, including high-end Acenti devices, add the finishing touch to wall surfaces in conference rooms and offices, according to the company.
“Our new office complex reflects our culture and identity as a pacesetter in green building design and provides an operating environment that enables us to best serve our customers around the globe,” said Leviton president and CEO Donald J. Hendler. “We look forward to joining the Long Island community as a resource and as an effective, socially responsible corporate citizen.”
The new office complex has many eco-friendly features and is a candidate for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification — a process that can take several months to acquire. The facility complies with all six LEED categories, including 1) materials and resources; 2) indoor environmental quality; 3) site sustainability; 4) water efficiency; 5) energy & atmosphere; and 6) innovative design.
Ninety percent of the facility’s office equipment, appliances, and fixtures are Energy-Star(r) qualified. Low-flow fixtures on sinks and water-conserving toilets are expected to reduce water consumption by 30 percent. The use of low-emitting materials and chemicals in carpets, paints, and other building materials safeguards air quality. Furniture made from recycled materials, a Styrofoam-free cafeteria, recycling bins throughout the building and the use of recycled paper products where possible, will spare trees and reduce landfill volume.
Ergonomic keyboard trays at each workstation, adjustable monitor stands and comfortable seating combine to create an environmentally friendly workplace. Reserved parking spots for hybrid vehicles, a company-sponsored van pool and outdoor bike rack promote alternative transportation methods. In addition, 20 percent of the building materials in the complex were sourced from recycled materials — a sizable percentage for a renovation project — and 50 percent of all construction debris was recyclable.
Leviton’s Melville complex is the company’s third corporate headquarters since its founding in 1906. With early roots in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint manufacturing district, Leviton relocated its headquarters in 1973 to Little Neck, Queens, where its two campus-like buildings, joined by an enclosed corridor, occupy the length of two city blocks in an otherwise residential neighborhood.
