Here at SECURA, sustainability is woven deep into our company culture. For us, there is no “going green,” it’s all about how we can find ways to live a deeper shade of green. Since our founding in 1900, we have always had an environmental focus further intensified by former President & CEO Gordon Bubolz, who was a passionate environmentalist himself.
Sustainability Committee carries that mission.
Launched on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in 2010, our Sustainability Committee is celebrating a decade of encouraging associates, agents, policyholders, and the community to reduce their own environmental impact.
The Sustainability Committee champions this cause by identifying potential improvements, implementing or making recommendations to do so, and tracking our progress with sustainable practices. Throughout the year, they also provide our associates with numerous opportunities to get involved. From lunch and learns, Earth Week activities, and more, there is no shortage for our associates to learn to live a greener life.
Because of their efforts, SECURA was awarded the Green Master designation for the first time ever in 2015. The Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council awards this recognition to organizations that demonstrate positive practices in areas like energy, emissions (including carbon), water, waste management, transportation, supply chain, community and educational outreach, and workforce and governance.
A new home office with the environment in mind.
When construction began on SECURA’s 300,000 square-foot home office, sustainability and honoring the Bubolz family legacy was at the forefront of the design. Locally sourced granite, repurposed barn boards, and other sustainably sourced materials were used in the building construction. The home office uses occupancy and motion sensor lighting to save energy and has a solar field made up of 2,140 solar panels that supplies 15% of the building’s energy.
Preserving the surrounding natural landscape was also important to us. Associates can take a break from the day and enjoy the prairie surroundings on a quick walk.
All of these building features help promote sustainability and protecting our environment, something very important to us.
Inside the building, we’ve taken steps to place additional filters in all of our water sources, and we have highlighted the importance of recycling and proper trash removal in our café by providing separate bins for cans, paper, food scraps, and more. Additionally, associates are encouraged to use reusable cups and dinnerware instead of plastic to further reduce our environmental impact
