Glumac Explores Green Building in Toronto

25-Oct-2010 by Louisa Gaylord, Communications Director

(left to right) Nancy Hamilton, McKinstry; Steven Straus, Glumac; Michelle Noble, Waterfront Toronto; Scott Bozek, US Commercial Service; Jennifer Woods, USCS; Ruth Williamson, USCS; Mark Edlen, Gerding Edlen; Catharine Ciarlo, City of Portland; Lisa Prime, Waterfront Toronto;  and Sam Adams, Mayor of Portland.

On September 22-25, Glumac President Steven Straus traveled to Toronto to represent the company at the city’s Green Building Festival. The conference and exposition, comparable to the USGBC Greenbuild conference, was attended by several Portland companies that focus on sustainability and which Glumac has collaborated with, including Gerding Edlen Development, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca architects and McKinstry Construction. Also in attendance was Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who gave what the Toronto Star called, “arguably the most inspirational talk on city building that’s been heard during this year’s municipal election- and it came from a guy who’s not even running, at least not here.”

“Construction activity is booming in Toronto, with multiple construction cranes on the skyline,” Straus said. “Toronto is in the process of a $20 billion plus renovation on the waterfront, which is focused on sustainable design and construction at the highest levels.” Glumac hopes to use new business contacts made at the Green Building Festival to sell sustainable Portland building practices to the Toronto market.

This international trade mission was the first of its kind. The City of Portland worked with the United States Department of Commerce to promote Portland’s eco-friendly urban planning and public transit methods in Canada. Direct meetings between Toronto and Portland green building companies were organized by the U.S. Commercial Service in the hopes of creating strong ties rooted in sustainability that will generate business for both cities.

Ontario provides the second largest source of Canadian trade for the state of Oregon, producing $1.2 billion in profit and supporting approximately 90,000 jobs. Environmental business connections can only flourish since Air Canada has recently added a direct Portland-to-Toronto flight.

Mark Edlen, co-founder of Gerding Edlen, told Sustainable Business Oregon that, “several of the people here are coming back home with definite opportunities to create jobs in Oregon and opportunities to deliver their services in Toronto.”
The attendance of Sam Adams generated additional local media, including articles in Oregon’s Willamette Week and the Toronto Globe & Mail, several of which mention Glumac’s sustainability initiatives.

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