Maddox

Just a few years ago, if you wanted to talk "green" with famed Phillies center-fielder Garry Maddox, the conversation might have focused on salaries or the condition of the ball field.  Today, Maddox is eager to talk about "the green" in the environmentally-friendly lines of products carried by his office furnishings business, A. Pomerantz & Co.

It's a dramatic change for the former Phillies great who transitioned onto the entrepreneurial field after a stellar career in the Major Leagues.  Since acquiring A. Pomerantz & Co., Maddox has kept an attentive eye on the growing interest in environmentally-friendly workspaces.  His company now carries an array of office furnishings made from sustainable materials.

Although life has changed for Maddox, he continues to show his competitive spirit.  In 2008, he opened an office in Chicago to grow business among current and prospective clients in the Midwest.  Maddox intends to market green office furnishings throughout his expanding territory, but he recently discovered receptive ears right in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia when his former employer, the Philadelphia Phillies, welcomed a green solution proposed by A. Pomerantz & Co.  for a current ballpark renovation project.

The Phillies have been in their new stadium for less than three years, but the club recently decided to replace the carpet in the administrative areas because the broadloom was not performing to expectations.  In Baseball, the Phillies are known for their distinctive red uniforms, but their request for proposals turned a few heads with its insistence upon green.  "Sustainable values were a key component of the selection of the new carpet," recalled Maddox who was invited to bid on the project. 

Bidders were asked to recommend carpet options that offered: lifetime performance, translatable sustainable attributes, favorable pricing, and an attractive design.

Maddox and his team took a methodical approach to crafting a solution. "We first created performance specifications that narrowed the field of options and conformed to the Phillies' lifecycle/wear-expectations," said Maddox.

The former All Star player also leaned on his industry knowledge to satisfy the Phillies' sustainability targets.  "I knew from experience that there is a baseline of sustainable features that carpet manufacturers must meet to comply with LEED standards," said Maddox.  (LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Maddox and his team at A. Pomerantz & Co. proposed several carpet options, including a carpet from a manufacturer that uses fibers spun from recycled plastic bottles.  "Essentially, we offered the Phillies a closed loop process that involved collecting used plastic bottles from the ballpark and converting those bottles into carpet that could go into the administrative space," said Maddox.  Another option involved carpet that not only featured recycled content, but employed an environmentally-friendly adhering method.  In the end, A. Pomerantz  & Co. was awarded the project, and the Phillies gained a "translatable" environmental story that helps define the ballclub as a sustainable organization.

Maddox and his team are now in the planning phase of the installation.  "We are going to install the new carpet in an occupied space," said Maddox who is confident his team won't be disruptive to the Phillies organization, which has entered the ticket-selling season at the ballpark.

When Maddox was with the Phillies, he enjoyed six incredible postseasons, winning five full-season Division Titles, two pennants and one World Series.   Now the former center fielder is hoping his company's success in satisfying the Phillies' green requirements will translate into an equally impressive run with other ball clubs that have an environmental focus.

"Opening Day is fast approaching, and I'm eager to talk green," said Maddox.

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