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Case Studies

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PRIDE Industries Brings Cost Savings to 138 Buildings

California is home to the largest municipal court system in the country—serving about 12 percent of the total U.S. population, more than 40 million people. 

Situation

The California court system originally selected PRIDE Industries to provide facility operations and maintenance services to all its courthouses in Northern California. Using an inclusive workforce, PRIDE Industries delivered services so efficiently that the system expanded the contract to include its Southern California properties. This expanded contract covers 138 buildings, representing 22.2 million square feet. 

Solution

In 2011, the court system awarded PRIDE Industries its Northern California operations and maintenance contract. During the next 10 years, PRIDE Industries improved operational efficiency and reduced electricity consumption, saving the system more than $5 million. Based on this success, in 2020 the contract with PRIDE Industries was expanded to include its Southern California operations, which more than tripled the number of buildings and the square footage maintained. In 2024, the PRIDE Industries operations team worked on 85,000+ work orders for the courts. 

Services Provided

  • Architectural Systems: Keep spaces, structures, and infrastructure in proper operating condition.
  • Asset Management: Optimize operations and lower facility operating costs.
  • Building Automation Systems: Provide optimal efficiency and peak performance for buildings.
  • Electrical Systems: Ensure safety and facility compliance with current electrical code.
  • Preventative Maintenance: Reduce premature asset breakdowns, keep employees safe, and save money.
  • HVAC Systems: Extend system lifespans and maintain a healthy environment.
  • Facility Modifications: Manage the physical modifications to the affected facility or its components (assets) that restore or improve the designed level of function of said facility or facility components. 

Sample Case

Presented with the situation of extremely high energy use at the Gordon Schaber Courthouse in downtown Sacramento, the California court system reached out to PRIDE Industries for a solution. The solution reached was two-fold:  

  • In late 2015, PRIDE Industries refurbished 12 antiquated air handler units by replacing the 24 existing motors with variable frequency drive motors and installing the associated drivers, upgrading electrical wiring, and cleaning/restoring the coils. 
  • In early 2016, PRIDE Industries replaced over 6,000 T8 fluorescent lights and can-style lighting in all public spaces and courtrooms within the facility with LED lamps.  

Results

  • Electricity consumption reduction of 40 percent, saving $375,000 per year 
  • Overall savings of $3.3 million since 2016
  • ROI of 3.7 years  
courthouse icon

Highlights

138 buildings
22.2

Million square feet

$5M

Savings in operational efficiencies

Neck Nosh Finds a Flexible Workforce with PRIDE Industries

Neck Nosh is a Sacramento-based manufacturer of pretzel necklaces worn at festivals, concerts, and outdoor events. This “foodie-fun” company’s necklaces have found their way to brewfests, from California to Florida. Erica Humphrey, the company’s owner, seeks to make Neck Nosh a “social purpose business.” 

Situation

Due to both COVID-related worker shortages and the seasonal nature of Neck Nosh’s workload, the edible-necklace company needed a flexible, reliable workforce to build its product. Moreover, with long-term experience working with people of diverse abilities, Neck Nosh’s founder specifically sought to hire an inclusive workforce. Seeking a partner with a similar mission, Neck Nosh turned to PRIDE Industries to provide staffing solutions. 

Solution

PRIDE Industries provided a flexible, reliable workforce to Neck Nosh, consisting of five employees—three with documented disabilities and one PRIDE Industries job coach. These employees make between 2,000 and 3,000 pretzel necklaces per month—95% of Neck Nosh’s production—allowing the company’s owner to focus on running the business. The consistency of PRIDE Industries’ workforce has also allowed Neck Nosh the time and forethought to streamline their processes. 

Services Provided

  • Pretzel necklace building
  • 5 employees, 3 with a disability
  • Recruiting 

Results

  • 2,000 to 3,000 necklaces made per month 
  • Flexible workforce has provided business stability 
  • Skilled and reliable employees with low turnover 
  • Meeting of Neck Nosh’s goal for a diverse and inclusive workforce 
Neck Nosh logo

Highlights

60%
employees with documented disability
3,000
necklaces made per month

“I can't stress enough how important PRIDE Industries’ reliable workforce is and how much stability that has given my business.”

— Erica Humphrey, Owner of Neck Nosh 

America is Getting Fit with the Help of PRIDE Industries

Heart Zones is a pioneer in the field of science-based heart rate training programs and devices. Founded by Sal Edwards and headquartered in Sacramento, Calif, Heart Zones sells wearable technology, including the Blink Armband ™, a lightweight heart rate monitor that converts data into individualized, actionable exercise prescriptions.

Situation

When Heart Zones wanted to reshore assembly and packaging services for the Blink Armband ™, they immediately thought of PRIDE Industries. Back in 1990, PRIDE Industries had successfully manufactured Sal Edwards’s Fleet-Feet branded snowshoes. So, when Heart Zones ran up against an irregular order pattern for their armband, necessitating an agile supply chain, Sal knew PRIDE Industries would be able to do it all—with an emphasis on quality control.

Solution

The PRIDE Industries manufacturing team was able and equipped to address Heart Zone’s needs from start to finish, assembling the Blink Armband ™, buying the raw goods, cutting, packaging, and even storing Heart Zones’ parts and products on-site in the U.S. as opposed to overseas. This holistic approach allowed Heart Zones to maintain an agile supply chain and focus on doing what they do best: get their product to market.

Services Provided

  • Raw goods purchasing
  • Cutting and Assembly
  • Component Building
  • Packaging
  • Storing Inventory for Heart Zones
  • Employs 10 People with Disabilities
  • Between 2M and 3M in Sales Annually
heart zones logo

Highlights

$2-3M
in sales annually
10

people with disabilities employed

“How they build things and how they think through it and their willingness to support—We’re thrilled to work with a company that’s headquartered near us, that supports our community, and that can make a quality product.”

— Sal Edwards

PRIDE Industries Helps California Send Invasive Pests Packing

The Don’t Pack a Pest program is a partnership among several state, federal, and foreign governments and organizations, including the state of California. The program is designed to inform both domestic and international travelers of the risks associated with bringing food, plants, or other agricultural items in passenger baggage. This inter-governmental program serves to safeguard food and agriculture in the U.S. from the damage that can be created by invasive pests.

Situation

California is a prime destination for tourism and business travel; millions of people move through the state’s airports and border crossings annually. Unfortunately, some of these travelers carry with them invasive pests and plants, which cost the state of California an estimated $3 billion annually. To lower these losses, the California Department of Food and Agriculture decided to implement the “Don’t Pack a Pest” traveler education program.

Solution

As a trusted partner, PRIDE Industries was asked by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to develop an awareness campaign utilizing “Don’t Pack a Pest” graphics and messaging. The goal of the campaign was to inform both domestic and international travelers at major California airports and border crossings of the dangers of inadvertently bringing in harmful plants and insects.

To meet the campaign’s awareness goals, PRIDE Industries created and installed visual materials in the international travel hubs of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and the San Ysidro Border Crossing.

PRIDE Industries worked closely with airport officials, fire marshals, state and local agencies, and design teams to ensure that all signage was in line with both brand standards and strict airport compliance rules.

Services Provided

PRIDE Industries’ design and production teams created, produced, and installed the following materials in English, Spanish, and Chinese:

  • Wall murals
  • Acrylic mounted signage
  • Stanchion signage
  • Pull-up banners
  • Digital screen signage

Results

  • Over 195 posters and visual materials created and installed
  • Materials provided in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese
  • Two-week turnaround after approval for printing production and installation
  • Seen by more than 150 million travelers annually
  • Reduction in the costs associated with damage by invasive pests
california department of food and agriculture logo

Highlights

150 million
annual travelers
195
posters and visual materials created and installed
2 week
turnaround

How Four New Orleans Monuments Went from Zero to 90% Recycling in Less than Three Years

Established in 1949, the General Services Administration (GSA) provides centralized procurement for the federal government, offering the products, services, and facilities that federal agencies need to serve the public. Among the GSA’s numerous responsibilities, it manages a portfolio of buildings and grounds valued at more than $500 billion. It also oversees the preservation of historic properties. A key goal of the GSA is to save taxpayer money through the sustainable management of real estate and other assets.

Situation

Among the many buildings maintained by the GSA are four historic properties in New Orleans: the Hale Boggs Federal Building, the U.S. Custom House, the John Minor Wisdom U.S. Court of Appeals Building, and the F. Edward Hebert Federal Building. Together, these four buildings comprise more than 1.5 million square feet of office space, and are among the highest valued government buildings in the country. Some of the unique features in these buildings include Greek revival marble floors, 20-foot ceilings with bronze design elements, ornate courtrooms with walnut paneling, intricately carved judges’ benches, porcelain and glass architectural features, and intricate brass and wood décor—all of which require specialized cleaning.

This already complex maintenance situation was made more complicated in 2016 when an executive order was issued requiring all federal buildings to recycle at least 50% of their waste. At that time, none of the GSA’s New Orleans properties were recycling in any capacity.

Now they had just three years to comply with the executive order.

Solution

PRIDE Industries has provided maintenance services to the GSA since 2007. In New Orleans, these services include carpet and floor care, trash removal, polishing porcelain and metal surfaces, cleaning interior and exterior glass doors and surrounding glass areas, window washing, policing inside areas, and wiping atrium plants.

To make sure the GSA met its recycling goals in New Orleans, PRIDE Industries devised a user-friendly recycling program and implemented it in phases. First, new cleaning and recycling protocols were developed, based on sustainability best practices. Then, the nearly 50 PRIDE Industries employees who clean the historic buildings were trained in the new procedures.

But simply adding recycling options and working with the cleaning staff would not be enough. In order to achieve the 50% benchmark required by the executive order, the tenants in each building would have to recycle too. In order to bring them on board, PRIDE Industries developed an education and communication program that included face-to-face visits with each tenant.

Services Provided

  • 45+ employees—90% of whom have a disability—conduct specialized cleaning daily
  • Comprehensive cleaning protocols developed and implemented
  • Environmentally friendly maintenance—active and ongoing recycling
  • Sustainable cleaning tools sourced, used, and recycled
  • CIMS-Green Building custodial and grounds services for historic buildings

Results

The employee training, tenant communication, and easy-to-use recycling options were highly successful. By the end of three years, all four buildings had exceeded the requirements of the executive order—and achieved a waste recycling rate of 90%. Not long after this, the GSA renewed its contract with PRIDE Industries for an additional five years.

The protocols developed by PRIDE Industries were so successful that they were adopted by the GSA for use in other historic federal buildings. In Cincinnati, Ohio, these techniques were used to enable the Potter Federal Courthouse to become LEED-certified. Another building that gained LEED certification using these methods was the Richard Sheppard Arnold Courthouse in Little Rock, Arkansas. Both of these courthouses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In summary, the recycling program developed by PRIDE Industries enabled the GSA to:

  • Decrease its environmental footprint with a 90% recycling rate.
  • Switch to cost-saving and environmentally friendly equipment.
  • Rely on a knowledgeable workforce trained in sustainability.
  • Gain a tenant communication model that can be used to increase recycling in other GSA buildings.
  • Use these new cleaning protocols to enable LEED certification of other GSA historic buildings.
GSA logo

Highlights

4
landmark historic government buildings
90%
recycling rate achieved in less than 3 years

“If we’re going to do it, we may as well go as high as we can.”

— David McNeese, Janitorial Manager, on exceeding the goal of 50% waste recycling

PRIDE Industries Gets a Sensitive Military Forensic Lab into Pristine Condition

Located in the Gillem Enclave in Forest Park, Georgia, Fort Gillem is home to the Defense Forensic Science Center (DFSC), the Department of Defense’s premier forensic center. At the DFSC, scientists and technicians examine and analyze crime scene evidence for the Army, DoD entities, and federal agencies. Center services include specialized forensic training, research and laboratory analyses, and management of the DoD Convicted Offender DNA Database Program. Since 2016, PRIDE Industries has provided facility operations and maintenance support to the DFSC, maintaining 150,000 square feet of building space. Over the last several years, we have improved the site mechanics through ongoing maintenance and added improvements.

Situation

In 2016, the Defense Forensics Science Center (DFSC) was seeking a contractor who could meet their unique needs and was up to the demanding task of keeping this vitally important lab in peak condition. Due to the exacting nature of the lab’s work, which includes handling delicate forensic evidence for the U.S. military, the DFSC must maintain a pristine environment at all times. After a thorough search, the DFSC chose PRIDE Industries to take on the crucial work of ensuring that key infrastructure elements, such as HVAC and video gate controls, were in working order. There were also important repairs to be made. In one mechanical room, for example, a series of leaks had caused water to pool on the floor.

Solution

PRIDE Industries systematically addressed each of the issues that were preventing the lab from operating at peak efficiency. Actions taken included:

  • Cleaning and repairing all broken systems
  • Documenting all center assets and implementing preventative maintenance protocols
  • Ensuring that HVAC temperature and humidity controls were functional and accurate
  • Optimizing the facility’s up-time

PRIDE Industries employed an inclusive team to make repairs and improvements. Today, this team ensures that critical systems are properly maintained. By working with PRIDE Industries, the DFSC is able to meet its diversity goals as it reaps the benefits of a proven workforce with statistically high retention rates and low turnover.

Services Provided

  • Repair and maintenance of HVAC systems
  • Repair and maintenance of gate and video gate controls
  • Repair of pipe leakage
  • Documentation of assets
  • Implementation of preventative maintenance protocols
  • Ongoing maintenance of laboratory’s critical mechanical systems
  • Pest control
  • PH monitoring
  • Sign making
  • Appliance maintenance
  • Grounds maintenance

Results

  • Assurance of laboratory-optimal environmental conditions
  • Maximization of up-time
  • Meeting of inclusivity goals
  • Consistent service provided by a proven, reliable workforce
  • Positive community impact resulting from the employment of nearly 50 local subcontractors
Defense Forensic Science Center logo

Highlights

150,000 sq. ft.

of building space maintained

“PRIDE Industries solved a long-term generator malfunction that had plagued the facility for years. Working side by side with the generator’s manufacturer, they were able to document and troubleshoot each failure—eventually discovering a minor manufacturing wiring assembly problem. In correcting this, PRIDE Industries relieved the DFSC of a chronic issue.”

— Fort Gillem Customer
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