According to the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' (GRHC) 2012 Annual Industry Survey of Corporate Members, the green roof industry is on the rise, with the nation's capital in the No. 1 position.
“The green roof industry grew by 115% over the course of 2011, up significantly from 28.5% growth recorded in 2010,” said Steven W. Peck, GRP, President of GRHC. “This great news comes on the eve of the launch of CitiesAlive: 10 Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference, which is being held in Chicago from October 17 to 20, 2012.”
“We are definitely beginning to see results from policy support that has increased over the past few years,” said Jeffrey L. Bruce, GRP, chair, GRHC. “The industry is also benefitting from the more than 500 accredited Green Roof Professionals in the market who are committed to driving future industry growth.”
In the Top Ten U.S. Metropolitan Regions Rankings, Washington, D.C., vaulted into first place, with more than 800,000 sq ft of green roofs installed in 2011. “This is evidence that the District is moving toward my vision for a sustainable D.C. and will lead the nation in implementing green practices and growing a green economy. We are fully committed to being number one again next year,” said Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent C. Gray.
The exceptional growth rate of the green roof industry is reflected in the experience of GRHC member companies across North America. Vanessa Keitges, CEO of Columbia Green, said, "I continue to be excited by the opportunities we find in the green roof marketplace, looking at both the overall growth of the industry as well as the 200% growth for our company last year.”
The city of Chicago is the undisputed green roof leader of the past decade. With a total of over five million sq ft of installed green roofs, it is one million square feet ahead of any other metro region since the survey started in 2004.
The city of Chicago is co-hosting CitiesAlive: 10th Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference from Oct. 17 to 20, 2012. The event features expert speakers, professional training, Awards of Excellence, a trade show with industry leaders and more. Media passes are available. The early bird deadline for delegate registration is May 15. Visit www.citiesalive.org for details.
