Sunshine Chevrolet first in America recognized as a GM Green Dealer

Sunshine Chevrolet is the first recipient of General Motors’ “Green Dealer Recognition” program outside of a small pilot program.  After a thorough review of Sunshine Chevy’s environmental credentials, the automaker found that Sunshine Chevrolet has a proven track record in areas such as energy reduction, renewable energy use, water conservation efforts, recycling and community outreach.

Sunshine Chevrolet implemented several environmental features on its site, including:

• Energy efficient LED lighting both on the interior and exterior of the building with state-of-the-art programmable capabilities designed to minimize energy usage.
• Dedicated recycling program for shop materials
• Advanced building techniques using:
• Insulated Panel System (IPS)
• Low-E Solarban 70XL windows
• High “R” roofing system
• Recycling of most on site water
• High efficiency cooling, heating and low-energy vending machines
• Critical positioning of building on property to limit direct sun infiltration while maximizing natural interior light throughout facility.

“When we were planning for our new facility that opened in December 2013, we felt that it was absolutely necessary to be as environmentally conscious as economically feasible.  We are so proud that the finished product is not only the most eco-friendly GM dealership in Western North Carolina but also the most customer-friendly.  We could not be more pleased that Sunshine Chevrolet is the first in America to be recognized as a GM Green Dealer!” states Don Elliott, President and Owner of Sunshine Chevrolet.

To earn the designation of Green Dealer, dealerships must complete a rigorous performance assessment that GM’s green dealer support team validates and evaluates against specific criteria. Dealer recognition is based on dealers who have implemented green activities across a wide range of environmental / sustainable criteria at their dealership.  A dealer’s continuous improvement year after year will lead to ongoing annual recognition.

“We think customers should know all the behind-the-scenes efforts our dealerships make to leave a smaller footprint on their communities,” said Kurt McNeil, GM vice president of U.S. sales and service.

The new Green Dealer Recognition program aligns with GM’s companywide efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and green its supply chain. GM designed the program to encourage dealers to continue these voluntary efforts and build a network for sharing best practices to help others begin or advance their sustainability journey.

For more information on GM’s environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.