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American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC) today announced that its new Central Atlantic regional office in Charlotte, North Carolina, has earned LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  The facility is AHFC's second LEED-certified facility and one of 12 LEED-certified "green buildings" built and operated by Honda in North America, the most of any automaker.

"We welcome AHFC to the Ballantyne Corporate Park and celebrate their LEED Gold accomplishment," said Emily Scofield, executive director of the Charlotte Region chapter of the USGBC, at a commemorative ceremony and tour held today at the facility. "Now and well into the future, AHFC, their employees and our community will benefit from the environmental sustainability features incorporated into the facility and surrounding landscape."

The building's sustainable features include the use of low mercury lamps in all light fixtures helping achieve a 40 percent reduction in lighting power and Dyson Airblade hand dryers which will result in a carbon footprint that is 70 percent smaller than using paper towels. In addition, 90 percent of the facility's equipment meets the Energy Star requirements of the U.S. EPA.  AHFC also has implemented a "green cleaning" program to reduce exposure to chemical contaminants that adversely impact air quality. Further, during construction, 82 percent of construction debris, 47 tons worth, was diverted from landfills.

"As part of the Honda family of companies, our commitment is not only to create more fuel efficient vehicles, but to reduce the environmental impact of our operations," said Dean Hardesty, Central Atlantic regional manager of American Honda Finance Corporation. "We look forward to serving our Honda and Acura customers in this region from this new green facility."

Over the past two decades, Honda has led the automotive industry in developing LEED®-certified green buildings by incorporating sustainable concepts into facility construction and operation, including the use of locally harvested and manufactured construction materials, and installation of cool roofs, dual-paned glass, high-recycled-content materials, and energy-efficient lighting. Honda counts only LEED-certified buildings that it builds and operates, not LEED-certified facilities operated by independent Honda and Acura dealers.  (Click here to learn more about Honda's "Green Building" and "Green Factory" initiatives.)

Honda Environmental Leadership
Honda is a leader in the development of leading-edge technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. Honda has led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for eleven out of the past twelve years.

In 2006, Honda became the first automaker to announce voluntary CO2 emissions reduction targets for its global fleet of automobile, powersports and power equipment products and its global network of manufacturing plants. Today, the company is striving for even greater reductions in CO2 emissions that contribute to global climate change, while also working to minimize waste, water use and the total environmental footprint of its operations worldwide.

American Honda Finance Corporation (AHFC)
American Honda Finance Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., helps to satisfy the financing needs of consumers of Honda and Acura vehicles, as well as Honda motorcycles, powersports, power equipment, and marine products. AHFC offers financing in the form of both retail installment sales contracts and leases, depending on the product and the needs of the particular customer. AHFC also provides consumer protection products such as vehicle service contracts and guaranteed asset protection (GAP).

Media Contact Information:
Marcos Frommer (American Honda Motor Co., Inc.): 310-781-5542

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