Clarksville, Tenn.—MILEstone, 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, according to show organizers.
“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,” said Rodolfo Panisi, CEO, Florim USA.
Eric Ezechieli, international speaker and 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 and sustainability manager, Don Haynes. Topics ranged from ‘Net Zero Achievability,’ ‘The Truth Behind Greenwashing and Carbon Offsets,’ ‘Sustainable Design Trends’ and MILEstone’s own current and future initiatives to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Natalie Salazar of BPI said she looks forward to future events. “Every time we gather people from our industry together in a room…amazing things happen,” Salazar said. “We never stop learning from each other; and it gives us the energy to do more. We look forward to future events.”
Future events are being planned to range in topics such as gauged porcelain tiles and best installation practices and methods, according to the company.