Our Green Legacy

Being Green: Just Part of the Morton Buildings Legacy

Morton Buildings, Inc. has a history of integrating “green” or environmental friendly principles into our general building practices. Prior to “eco” issues coming to the forefront of public awareness, Morton Buildings utilized sustainable design through the use of renewable and recyclable material sources and by optimizing energy efficiency.

“Green” standards practiced on the building site

Long before the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) created its green building rating system (LEED^TM—Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), Morton Buildings was already applying a number of sustainable building practices that were recently established. Since we constructed our first building in 1949, we’ve been using timber frames manufactured from renewable wood sources. The siding and roof steel used in our buildings is typically recycled and recyclable. To conserve energy and natural resources, the materials used in most Morton buildings are manufactured within 500 miles of each building site.

Beyond our tradition of using materials that are renewable and recyclable, we offer optional features that optimize building efficiency. In the ’70s Morton developed Energy Performer®, an insulation system engineered to provide our buildings with a comfortable environment while optimizing the energy efficiency of the structure. Buildings that include our exclusive Energy Performer® insulation system typically exceed state building codes for energy efficiency. This conservation allows for a reduced expenditure of energy, thus lowering the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. Energy Performer® outperforms other systems on the market and helps to significantly reduce utility costs, leading to long-term savings for our customers. Our typical open floor plan promotes the use of “daylighting”, which maximizes the use of natural lighting while reducing the use of electric lighting.

To further improve overall efficiency, Morton offers several “cool roof” paint colors that are Energy Star® approved for reflectivity. These approved colors help to reflect sunlight and heat away from the building, which helps to keep the building cooler and reduces cooling loads.  We also offer Energy Star® labeled windows and doors in a variety of styles that help to maximize the energy performance of your Morton building.

Green from the ground up

Morton Buildings is no stranger to fully “green” projects. Our first fully green project was the coordination and construction of Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative’s corporate headquarters in LaFarge, Wisconsin. Working closely with our affiliates at Allied Design Architectural and Engineering Group, P.C., and Organic Valley’s company officials, we were able to create a facility that’s environmentally friendly and extremely energy efficient. In fact, this facility was designed to the standards of LEED^TM silver rating.

Click here to learn more about Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative

Conserving resources

The Morton Buildings corporate headquarters embraces the practice of recycling—paper, toner cartridges, and media materials. Because energy conservation is also a priority, energy-efficient lighting is utilized throughout the facility. Out in the field and at the manufacturing plants, scrap metal is contained in approved dumpsters and is recycled and reused whenever appropriate.

At Morton Buildings, we routinely engage in “green” practices. It’s part of our legacy; it’s who we are. As technologies and awareness improves, Morton will continue to pursue ways to further improve the efficiency and “eco” friendliness of our buildings.