Forum For Business September 2015 | Page 8

A SUSTAINABLE CPS INVESTMENT ADVISORS FOUNDED 40 YEARS AGO BY CHAS P. SMITH CPA/PFS, CPS INVESTMENT ADVISORS HAS ALWAYS STRIVED TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE TO THEIR CLIENTS, EMPLOYEES, AND THE COMMUNITY. 8 | FORUM FOR BUSINESS CPS Investment Advisors has specialized in Investments and Financial Planning for many years from their home on South Florida Avenue. In 2013, Chas Smith and managing partners Peter Golotko CPA/PFS, MBA and Jim Luffman CPA/PFS decided to move the location of CPS to downtown Lakeland, specifically to the 205 East Orange Street block where the old Wells Fargo building sat vacant. Seeing the great potential of the building and an amazing opportunity, they set out to create a pristine office that would have a sustainable future. The roots of CPS’s sustainable efforts can be traced back a long time. CPS Investment Advisors has recycled most of their papers with a shredding company and recycled plastics from their kitchen for close to 20 years. When presented with the opportunity to be a sustainable partner in downtown Lakeland, Chas and the managing partners moved forward with their plans to renovate the building and relocate the office. The CPS Financial Center has been designed from ground to roof with sustainability in mind. The exterior of the old building at the 205 block on Orange Street was stripped down and replaced with a rigid styrofoam block encasing a one-inch air pocket for insulation. The windows were re-tinted to reduce heat, and the upper floors encased in a “cage” structure that casts shadows throughout the day for additional cooling. The bathrooms were equipped with smart flush toilets and faucets to reduce water consumption. Almost every light in the office is equipped with sensors to turn off if no one is around. Even the landscaping is made up of drought resistant plants. Finally, and most impressive, is the state of the art solar facility that is installed on the roof of the CPS Financial Center. In 2015, the CPS Financial Center represented the first private solar facility in downtown Lakeland. 200 Solar panels were purchased and installed on the