| HIGH PERFORMANCE |
Docous agrees, adding it’s partly a
generational shift. “What people expect
in the workplace is a different style of
working,” he says, “and the workplace is
starting to accommodate that.”
He says, “Studies show that you may
invest $200 million in a building to de-
sign and build it, but over its 50-year life,
you’re going to far outstrip that number
in operation costs. But not just in energy,
but also in human capital.”
“One of the biggest expenses a
tenant has is their employee cost.
They’re spending $2.35 a square foot
for rent, a buck a square foot in opera-
tion costs, but they’re spending $300 a
square foot for their employee. If they
can save 5, or just 1 percent in produc-
tivity,” says Sheehy, that far exceeds the
savings in energy.
As a result, developers now consider
employee wellness in addition to energy
efficiency. “People are more productive
in a sustainable building,” continues
Sheehy, “because the air is better, it’s a
healthier environment, and studies are
starting to show that there’s less sick
time in a green building.”
In March 2017, the Harvard Business
Review published an article highlight-
ing past research showing that poor air
quality impacts worker health, and thus
higher absenteeism, and conversely that
better air quality impacts productivity.
“So make a place that is focused
on workplace environment, well-being,
good materials, fresh air and ventilation,
with ample views to the outside, includ-
ing natural light,” Docous says. “Your
biggest cost in any business is the peo-
ple you hire, and having a great place for
them to work that’s healthy and func-
tional means less absenteeism, better
health and better collaboration.” n
Jordan Venema is a California-based writer
who enjoys gin and teaching himself dead lan-
guages. He received a master’s of liberal arts
from St. John’s College, but swears he’s learned
more from his precocious son, Cassian, than he
ever did from a book.
Pinnacle Emergency Management
RESURRECTION OF HELWIG WINERY
I
n May 2017, a fire destroyed Helwig Winery’s wine
production and corporate offices facility. “That
building was the heart of our operation,” says the
winery’s owner, Dave Helwig, noting that it housed
critical operations, including production and laboratory
space, executive offices, and a commercial kitchen that
supported the catering for many year-round private
events and their popular summer concert series.
Pinnacle Emergency Management, a leading provider
of restoration services in Northern California, stepped
in to resurrect Helwig Winery. Pinnacle’s founder, Leo
Grover, has restored buildings after some of the nation’s
worst disasters in the past 20 years, including 9/11 and
hurricanes Ike and Katrina, and locally, the devastating
Sonoma County and Paradise fires.
Helwig’s spaces have been redesigned and rebuilt, along
with a beautifully designed private tasting room, all
within the same building footprint. Total construction
time took six months from permit to occupancy, and
was completed in time to begin crushing fruit for last
“
We are the ideal
emergency
management
solution for
commercial
real estate. We
expertly fill the
gap between
disaster and
returning to
normalcy.
year’s vintage. — LEO GROVER
“We’ve been honored to assist Helwig Winery from Owner of Pinnacle
Emergency Management
cleanup of the fire to complete reconstruction of
this critical operations building, providing them
with a state-of-the-art wine-production facility,
expanded high-end commercial kitchen, beautiful
executive offices, and a brand-new private tasting
”
room,” says Grover.
“Pinnacle exceeded our expectations,” says Helwig.
“The fire could have devastated our business, but they
made sure we’re in a better place than prior to our
disaster. I’m no fire insurance expert, and didn’t have
time to manage a construction project and insurance
claim negotiations, but I had peace of mind knowing I
had an expert partner handling the process so I could
focus on our continuing operations and planning.”
Pinnacle Emergency Management
916.371.7431
www.gopinnaclenow.com
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