Stouffville Toyota opens its doors

Toyota officially pulled off the wraps on its newest dealership calling it a “model for sustainable business operations.”

Stouffville Toyota, an $11-million, state-of-the-art facility in the small town about 30 minutes northeast of Toronto, employs 25 people and features a 9,300 sq-ft showroom and 14 service bays.

The building also has extensive environmental systems, so much so that Toyota says the dealership is currently pursuing Gold Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

“The dealership was designed around three key objectives: creating a customer-focused dealership, designing a sustainable facility and integrating new programs to foster environmental awareness within the community,” the company said.

Thanks to that environmental planning, Stouffville Toyota is expected to achieve a high sustainability performance, including a reduction in energy costs of more than 70 per cent and a reduction in fresh water consumption of more than 80 per cent compared to similar facilities.



In addition, Stouffville Toyota will conduct a green building education program that will include guided tours of the facility. This aims to teach visitors about the sustainable technology used at the dealership, and promote the importance of sustainable businesses and lifestyles.



“We’re proud of what we have accomplished with Stouffville Toyota, and hope that we can lead by example to promote sustainable business and lifestyles choices,” said Kevin Baxter, Dealer Principal of Stouffville Toyota. “We look forward to welcoming the local communities to our new home.” 






Some of the key environmental features include:

•  
Extensive use of recycled materials (more than 25% by cost)
• Extensive use of regionally-sourced materials (more than 38% by cost)
• Solar panel trackers and a planned electric vehicle recharging station highlight the dealership’s on-site renewable energy system
•  A rainwater harvesting system reduces the use of municipal water
• A roof finished in light-reflective materials helps reduce energy demands in summer months
• Use of FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified products, ensuring that wood products came from sustainably grown forests
• 117 tons of waste diverted from landfill during building construction
• A design that maximizes use of natural lighting to reduce overall energy cost
• An in-floor heating system fed by state of the art boilers that are 95% efficient.

This is the second Toyota dealership to open in Ontario this year that had an environmental construction focus. Stratford Toyota opened in June and was the first dealership in Canada to achieve Gold Certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.