Empire Beauty School Opens New Eco Conscious Campus In West Palm Beach FL

Pottsville, PA, August 27th, 2010 – Empire Beauty Schools is adding another green jewel to its crown with the opening of its second environmentally sustainable school in the state of Florida. Empire’s first Florida campus in Lauderhill opened in 2009, serving as the model for all new Empire school locations. The West Palm Beach school has been built to rigorous efficiency and sustainability standards, and offers a planet-friendly building design.

“We are thrilled to open our second location in Florida, which is such a great state for beauty professionals,” says Franklin K. Schoeneman, Empire’s CEO and chairman. “There are well over 20,000 salons in the state and according to a survey done by NACCAS, an industry trade group, the vast majority say they have been unable to find enough well-trained stylists, colorists and nail pros to staff them.”

Located in Cross Country Plaza on Okeechobee Blvd, the new 10,700 square foot school features the innovative curriculum and state-of-the-art teaching technologies for which Empire Schools are known, offering West Palm Beach students a truly first-rate education in cosmetology. The brand new facility will help train Florida’s next generation of aspiring beauty professionals while benefiting the community, not only through job creation, but also through a commitment to supporting local women’s shelters and anti-domestic violence initiatives, a cause very closely intertwined with Empire’s mission.

The specific eco-friendly design features include the following:

• Empire has installed water saving devices for a 50% reduction in water consumption in shampoo sinks and hand washing faucets and a 60% reduction in front load washing machines, which has lead to the added benefit of a reduced drying time for salon hand towels.
• Empire has achieved a 40% reduction in natural gas usage by using a more efficient water heater model.
• A 60-70% reduction in energy usage from lighting has been achieved with low voltage halogen and compact fluorescent lighting.
• Motion sensing light controls shut lights automatically when rooms are left unoccupied.
• LED lighted exterior signs sap less energy and require less maintenance than a traditional neon sign.
• Salon floors are constructed out of 100% post consumer and post industrial material.
• The construction has also incorporated flooring products that are 100% recyclable and comply with indoor air quality and emission requirements adapted in California, the nation’s leader in pro-green legislative standards.
• Non-toxic paint products were chosen for the school’s interiors.
• All heating, ventilation and air conditioning units are energy star rated.
• Custom built recycling centers in the school’s common areas will make student recycling of paper, plastic and glass convenient and second nature.

Empire has also chosen eco-friendly product lines for student usage including Regis Designline PURE Results. The shampoos and conditioners are certified organic, coconut-derived, vegetable, rapeseed or babassu-derived, gluten, paraben and sulfate free, wild collected and are not tested on animals. Empire also uses eco-conscious Jane Carter Solutions-Nourish line in student salons.

Empire has made a commitment to green growth and is optimistic that it can make a meaningful reduction in its environmental footprint. As the company continues to grow, all new school facilities will be designed in the environmentally-sensitive way outlined above, while conservation efforts remain a priority at the company’s Pottsville, PA corporate headquarters. Thanks to a company-wide recycling initiative, Empire has recycled a significant amount of office equipment, such as computers, phones, printers and tons upon tons of paper. Empire has also significantly reduced its overall energy usage, with approximately 33% less energy currently being used per month overall.

“We’re starting to get a lot of experience under our belt when it comes to building greener schools and we are working toward the day when all of our nearly 100 schools across the country will be upgraded to the same green standards that we have been able to incorporate into all of our new schools,” said Schoeneman. “We are in the business of making future dreams a reality, and when we act as good stewards for our planet’s resources, all our futures become brighter.”