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Industry Update { Noteworthy developments impacting the kitchen and bath market } 14 | Kitchen & Bath Design News December 2014 TOTO Celebrates Anniversary Morrow, GA — TOTO is celebrating its 25th an- niversary in North America by planting trees. The company is partnering with the City of Atlanta and Trees Atlanta to develop an Urban Greenways pro- gram to improve children's well-being by planting 250 trees along the streets they walk to school. During a ceremonial tree planting held at Atlanta's Perkerson Elementary School, Daijiro Nogata, chief executive ofcer of TOTO USA; The Honorable Valencia Stovall, Georgia House of Rep- resentatives; Denise Quarles, director of the City of Atlanta's Ofce of Sustainability, and Greg Levine, Trees Atlanta co-executive director and chief pro- gram ofcer, planted the frst tree with help from students at Perkerson. "Over the past 25 years, our commitment to in- novation, precision engineering and sustainability in products that meet people's real-world needs has enabled our company to prosper," said Nogata. "Beginning with a single storefront ofce, we have grown to three major manufacturing facilities, two major assembly, warehousing and distribution cen- ters, and more than 1,100 employees." Nogata continued, "To celebrate this important milestone, we wanted to give back to the children and families of the greater Atlanta area, our corpo- rate base of operations. We chose to plant trees, as they symbolize our commitment not only to the environment but also to people's wellbeing." During the ceremony, Stovall presented Nogata with a Georgia House of Representatives' Resolution congratulating the company on its 25th anniversary and commending TOTO for its Urban Greenways program. "It is impressive that TOTO USA, a large North American corporation, continues to care about not only its economic impact, but environmental as well," said Stovall. "The Urban Greenways project is such an example – by improving children's wellbe- ing through the planting of trees." TOTO's 25th Anniversary Urban Greenways Gift to School Children initiative begins with the plant- ing of the frst 50 trees along Brewer Boulevard, which leads to Perkerson Elementary School. These trees will advance the students' health – and that of the public – by: providing cleaner air, which may help reduce respiratory illness; reducing the production of ozone by lowering air temperature through shading and evapotranspiration; reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by stor- ing carbon as they grow, which could help reduce energy needed for urban heating and cooling; flter- ing storm water for cleaner creeks and rivers, and reducing noise along Atlanta's streets, according to the company. The day's events also featured interactive educa- tional activities with two classes of Perkerson ffth graders, teaching them to identify diferent kind of trees. Trees Atlanta has been working with the students as part of a year-long Urban Tree Trackers program. "We are pleased to be in partnership with TOTO USA to celebrate their 25th anniversary by plant- ing 250 trees in the City of Atlanta," said Levine. "The Urban Greenways project will make Atlanta's school children tree advocates while improving their wellbeing. TOTO USA is giving a gift not only to current Atlanta school children but also for future generations of students." Daijiro Nogata, CEO of TOTO USA; The Honorable Valencia Stovall, Georgia House of Representatives; Denise Quarles, director of the City of Atlanta's Ofce of Sustainability, and Greg Levine, Trees Atlanta co- executive director and chief program ofcer, planted trees with students from Atlanta's Perkerson Elemen- tary school to celebrate TOTO's 25th anniversary.