COMMERCE BANK IN O'FALLON, MISSOURI IS FIRST BANK BRANCH IN MISSOURI TO RECEIVE LEED® CERTIFICATION

(St. Louis – September 15, 2009) –The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it has awarded Missouri’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification of a bank branch to Commerce Bank’s new branch in O’Fallon, Missouri. LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings.

"Commerce Bank’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous sustainable building leadership," said U.S. Green Building Council President, CEO and founding Chair, Rick Fedrizzi. "The urgency of USGBC’s mission has challenged the industry to move faster and reach further than ever before, and Commerce Bank’s O’Fallon branch serves as a prime example with just how much we can accomplish."

Commerce Bank’s O’Fallon branch was designed by Arcturis, an award-winning multidiscipline design firm based in St. Louis. Arcturis architects designed the branch to achieve LEED certification for energy use, plumbing, lighting and material use as well as incorporating a variety of other sustainable strategies. LEED verifies environmental performance, occupant health and financial return. LEED was established for market leaders to design and construct buildings that protect and save precious resources while also making good economic sense.

"Commerce is committed to becoming more sustainable in both its daily operations and in development of Commerce Bank facilities; including the pursuit of the first LEED certified banking facility," said Mike Feulner, corporate real estate manager, Commerce Bank. "Using sustainable building practices provides Commerce with an opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment of our community. We’re proud to locate the first LEED certified banking center in O’Fallon, Missouri."

LEED certification of Commerce Bank’s O’Fallon branch was based on a number of green design and construction features that positively impact the project itself and the broader community. These features include:

  • Clerestory windows (pronounced clear story) above the teller and financial services area to help reduce or eliminate the need to use electrical lighting during the day.
  • Energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems, as well as energy-star rated appliances that will use 24 percent less energy than a typical building.
  • Energy-Star Rated white roof coating was applied to the roofing in order to reduce heat gain in the building.
  • FSC© (Forest Stewardship Council) wood products in all built-in wood cabinetry, wood paneling and trim work; which come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.
  • Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products, including paints, sealants, adhesives and coatings, to improve the interior environment for Commerce customers and employees.
  • More recycled materials manufactured from recycled products, including carpets, wall covering, plastic laminate, and ceiling tiles.
  • Efficient plumbing fixtures reduce water consumption by 40 percent with low flow toilets and faucets.
  • Less waste during construction, more than 90 percent of the total construction waste from this building was sent to recycling centers instead of being sent to area landfills.

Construction on the branch was completed in fall, 2008. Commerce registered for LEED certification before the branch was built and followed USGBC guidelines in the construction of the building. Once built, Commerce completed the final steps to receive LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

About the U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since UGSBC’s founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 17,000 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building rating systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry’s popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates, and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org

About LEED®

The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating SystemTM is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category. LEED can be applied to all building types including new construction, commercial interiors, core & shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities. LEED for Healthcare is currently under development and is expected to be released in early 2008.

Incentives for LEED are available at the state and local level and LEED has also been adopted nationwide by federal agencies, state and local governments.

About Commerce Bank

Commerce Bank, N.A. is a subsidiary of Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBSH), a $17.7 billion regional bank holding company. For more than 140 years, Commerce Bank has been meeting the financial services needs of individuals and businesses throughout the Midwest region. Commerce Bank provides a diversified line of financial services, including business and personal banking, wealth management and estate planning, and investments through its affiliated companies. Commerce Bank operates in 370 locations in the Central United States. Commerce Bancshares also has operating subsidiaries involved in mortgage banking, leasing, credit-related insurance, venture capital and real estate activities.

For additional information contact:

Email: mymoney@commercebank.com†


Disclosures:

  • To send an email that contains confidential information, please visit the Secure Message Center where there are additional instructions about whether to use Secure Email or Online Banking messaging.