Whitney Powers, AIA, principal, Studio A, Inc.

February 2, 2010 -- Studio A,
Inc., an award-winning boutique architectural firm in Charleston, has been
commissioned to design an 18,000 sq. ft. expansion of the manufacturing
facility of Allegheny Printed Plastics (APP), a division of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, based Allegheny Plastics, Inc. The addition is seeking LEED
Silver designation. 

Citing a
recent McKinsey Report that unequivocally asserted that green, or sustainable
and energy-efficient building is an economic and environmental imperative,
Studio A’s principal Whitney Powers AIA praised Alleghany Plastics for its
decision to seek LEED – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design –
certification, which she feels is especially critical for a manufacturing
plant.  The McKinsey Report, issued
by the U.S. Green Building Council, asserts: “Buildings in the United States
are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water
consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant
economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet
85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green
building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.”

“Allegheny
Plastics joins a growing segment of the global manufacturing sector that has
acknowledged a need to reduce its energy footprint and promote a workplace
culture of energy conservation and sustainability that can enhance
productivity, encourage innovation and promote an overall sense of pride in the
workplace,” said Powers, who is also a LEED-accredited professional (LEED-AP).

The
expansion will include: new facilities for Allegheny’s personalization and
fulfillment operations; new employee facilities, including a sequenced entry to
eliminate tracking of pollutants and contaminants to manufacturing areas,
meeting/break space, locker/showers/changing areas and restroom facilities; new
shipping facilities with loading dock; new waste and recycling material
management facilities; and warehouse space that is designed to accommodate
on-site grinding of manufacturing by-products for reuse.

As to the
expansion’s architectural direction, Powers plans to seek opportunities that
reflect:  (1) the integrity of the
structural systems and building materials; (2) the functionality and
expressiveness of the environmental interventions, such as daylight openings
and building entrances; and, (3) references to the local geography through
native planting and respectful use of the area’s natural resources and geology.

Allegheny
Plastics is already involved in eco-friendly manufacturing through its
“Environmental Responsibility” program that includes recycling and waste
reduction, energy efficiency, and maintaining clean air and water. The company
makes ongoing investments in new, innovative and greener product alternatives,
including offerings from its APP division that contain a minimum of 65%
recycled content and which are biodegradable.

“Building a
LEED certified expansion to its Pittsburgh plant will further demonstrate
Allegheny’s full commitment to sustainability, employee well-being, and energy efficiency,
as well as profitability,” Powers said. This effort puts Allegheny squarely
among those companies that have voluntarily adopted the “triple bottom line”
concept, whereby social, economic and environmental benefits are the hallmarks
of measuring a company’s success.”  

For more
information on Allegheny Plastics, go to www.allegheny.com.

For more
information on Studio A., Inc., visit www.studioa-architecture.com.

About
Studio A, Inc.:

Founded in
1989 by Whitney Powers, AIA, Studio A, Inc. is an award-winning, full-service
architecture firm located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The firm
proposes that the responsibility of architecture is to cultivate a language of
form that promotes a sustainable culture and landscape, and that touches the
emotions of delight, surprise and wonder. From cutting-edge contemporary
architecture to the preservation and restoration of historic homes, structures
and sites, Studio A is committed to an interactive relationship between the
natural and built environments, conservation of energy and natural resources,
and an appreciation for a “sense of place” where living, working and playing
are connected with the specific idiosyncrasies of culture, climate and natural
landscape where they take place. The firm includes Heritage Strategy Group, a
planning initiative that elaborates upon issues of the natural landscape
through the lens of recreational resources and scenic byways.

About
Allegheny Printed Plastics:

Allegheny
Printed Plastics has been producing custom-printed plastics since 1936 and
operates as a division of Pittsburgh, PA-based Allegheny Plastics, Inc., which
has a long-standing reputation for excellence in the design and manufacturing
of engineered plastic products. Allegheny Printed Plastics products include
gift, loyalty, membership, private label credit, access control, gaming and
hotel key cards. Allegheny Printed Plastics has evolved into a fast, flexible,
customer-focused organization to meet the demands of today's plastic card
marketing programs for single source solutions for custom card production, secure
card personalization, unique card packaging and card fulfillment.