10/24/2022, Clarksville, TN. –MILE®stone, the distributed brand of Florim USA, hosted its first “Sustainability Summit – Behind the Design.” The event, held at the manufacturer’s recently opened corporate welcome event center and showroom, featured international and nationally recognized speakers, with a focus on sustainability in both commercial and residential design spaces. With 60-plus attendees, the event provided tools, resources, knowledge, information… and background relative to what it means to truly be sustainable.
International speaker Eric Ezechieli, co-founder of NATIVA, spoke on how organizations, no matter their size or structure, can use their power and platform for good to address the urgency of the climate crisis. Additional guest speakers included: AJ Paron, Executive Vice President of Sandow Publishing; William Paddock, Co-Founder and Managing Director of WAP Sustainability; Bill Griese with the TCNA; Brett Shwery of Interior Design Americas; Michele McMinn of Gresham Smith; Michele Espeland of Cuningham, and Florim USA’s in-house Environmental & Sustainability Manager Don Haynes. Topics ranged from ‘Net Zero Achievability’, ‘The Truth Behind Greenwashing and Carbon Offsets’, ‘Sustainable Design Trends’, and MILE®stone’s own current and future initiatives to become carbon neutral by 2030.
This event was the first of many in the coming future. “Florim USA is a strong believer in education and keeping our partners and clients updated on a range of topics when it comes to sustainability,” stated Florim USA’s CEO Rodolfo Panisi. Future events are being planned to range in topics such as gauged porcelain tiles and best installation practices and methods.
The intended purpose of the event? As stated by attendee Natalie Salazar of BPI, “I left enlightened!” Panisi added, “Every time we gather people from our industry together in a room… amazing things happen. We never stop learning from each other; and it gives us the energy to do more. We look forward to future events.”
About MILE®stone
MILE®stone, the manufactured brand of Florim USA, is proud to represent sustainable tile, made in the USA. We are committed to the environment and community by encouraging the use of building solutions through environmentally friendly practices. Our approach to sustainability intersects with our business strategy to embrace three areas of responsibility: economic, social, and environmental. In addition to numerous green memberships, accreditations, and certifications, MILE®stone introduced the industry’s 1st Carbon Neutral Porcelain Tile and is taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2030.
