Mercedes-Benz Of Tampa Goes Green In New Place

Mercedes is cruising down the street to an environmentally friendly destination.

Mercedes-Benz of Tampa is moving from its current location at 4600 N. Dale Mabry Highway to 4400 N. Dale Mabry Highway, where a new building is scheduled to be completed in January 2011. According to dealership General Manager Frank Cuteri, the construction project gives the dealership an opportunity to install amenities to increase the building's sustainability and decrease its environmental footprint.

"We're using LED lighting on the outside lot to reduce electricity consumption," explains Cuteri. "The building is situated and laid out to minimize temperature needs. All windows face northeastward. We're installing  fans to move the air and further reduce air conditioning. We figure that's another 25 percent reduction in energy use."

But according to Cuteri, there's more the dealership did to protect the environment.

"Most dealerships use hydraulic oil, which ends up in the groundwater," Cuteri continues. "Our hydraulics are self-contained and use vegetable oil. We had some cleanup to do on the new lot regarding that from an old dealership that was there before. We had to dig up the ground and actually take the soil and burn it to keep it out of groundwater."

Cuteri says new service department workshop requirements standards set by the Mercedes-Benz company prompted the construction and related move.

"There are probably 50 different design elements that are required," says Cuteri. "These requirements cover everything from fixtures, paint and furniture to tool boxes. The new standards were started three years ago and now 90 percent of Mercedes service centers have been converted, upgraded or built according to the standards."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Frank Cuteri, Mercedes Benz of Tampa