Along with its engineering and construction work, renewable services contracts have been a strong contributor to revenue, accounting for 25% to 30% of the company's total and posting revenue gains in 23 of the past 25 years, Westphal says. "We've got quite a track record of consistency and predictability," he adds.

Sustainable Expertise

An important component of efficient mechanical design is having a wide range of system sizes for each project. That was a key factor in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District's net-zero energy use East Campus Operations Center, says Dave Anderson, ACCO senior vice president. Brought on the IPD project in its earliest pre-design phase, ACCO used a wide variety of cooling and heating components for the six-building campus, including active chilled beams, a geothermal exchange field, thermal storage tanks, a 180-ton chiller plant and evaporative cooling.

Many of these components are familiar in the industry, but Anderson says the variety and system architecture—such as using radiant heating in overhead ceiling slabs—made the project stand out. He adds, "We are using conventional products in unconventional ways."

ACCO also uses "right-sizing" in other areas. For instance, it has been more accurately matching its truck fleet to actual usage and requirements to boost fuel efficiency and trim costs. Electric charging stations with free power, shuttle buses to transit stations and other efforts help recruit employees concerned about the environment, Westphal says.

As ACCO expands, it seeks to remain flexible enough to tackle a variety of markets. "Being nimble is not usually associated with large [companies]," Narbonne says. "However, it is the depth and wide range of talent that allows us to quickly meet the challenges."