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First National Bank

Founded in 1857, First National Bank is a sixth-generation, family-owned business started by two brothers, Herman and Augustus Kountzee. Now the largest, privately owned bank holding company in the U.S., it holds $20 billion in assets, employs more than 5,000 associates, and has been named one of Forbes Best Banks in America.

As pioneers, First National Bank was one of the first to issue credit cards, and their commitment to sustainability made them the first data center in the world to generate power via clean, efficient fuel cell technology. But their commitment to corporate sustainability didn’t stop there.

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CLIENT

First National Bank of Omaha

CHALLENGE

First National Bank sought to increase sustainability with a carbon negative window film that would reduce energy consumption at 2 inefficient commercial buildings.

SOLUTION

NGS Films and Graphics provided a wide range of energy-saving solutions and worked after hours to apply carbon negative film to 64,000 ft2 of windows without business disruption.

RESULTS

First National Bank’s commercial buildings are now more comfortable and safer for employees, and they’re expected to reduce overall cooling costs by at least 25% while saving 2.2 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Imagining a New Future for Two Old Buildings

As a community leader and technological pioneer, First National Bank wanted to set the bar high yet again for sustainability and renewable energy usage in their hometown of Omaha. The introduction of carbon-reducing, highly efficient, thermal window insulation technologies gave them the opportunity to update two aging commercial buildings they managed.

“We had a 22-story building in downtown Omaha and a 7-story building in West Omaha that both needed updates for increased sustainability,” Tim Malik, Senior Director for Property Management at First National Bank, stated.“One has a lot of entryway glass with many anomalies; the other has two separate entrances.”

In total, they needed 30 floors covered, including 64,000 square feet of glass. Because the buildings were filled with commercial tenants, First National needed the work done with as little business disruption as possible.

Embarking on a New Mission for Efficiency

To find the most sustainable option, First National Bank dedicated 6 months to investigating possible solutions, including glass replacement and window film.

“Through our research [of 8-10 products], we discovered that some solar film was scientifically proven to be carbon negative and would remove the load on our buildings’ mechanical systems by mitigating [heat-causing] solar gain,” explained Malik, who was part of the discovery team.

Solar film, installed on the inside of a window, reflects sunlight to reduce glare, heat, UV, and other damaging rays from entering a building.

Blazing a New Path in the Community

After sending out RFPs, analyzing bids, and attending multiple vendor presentations, First National chose NGS Films and Graphics because they could meet a strict timeline and avoid business disruption for building tenants. The bank also appreciated that NGS had relationships with smaller contractors across the country.

“With NGS, we liked that we could subcontract some of the work to a local Omaha installer and develop a long-term business relationship in the community,” Malik said.

Covering New Ground – Several Stories Up

For a project of this magnitude in a commercial building, logistics is a major concern, yet NGS ensured a timely, unobtrusive process by focusing on pre-planning.

Two weeks before the installation, NGS toured each building and created a detailed schedule showing, floor by floor and building by building, exactly how the job would be done.

They followed the plan perfectly.

“The installation was seamless. [NGS Films and Graphics] did a great job. The supervisor over the job was here throughout the 4-week installation and also provided touch points along the way for engineers and property managers to have facetime. There was plenty of communication along the way,” Malik enthused.

“They covered 30 floors of corporate space in 4 weeks without any business disruption. There weren’t any hiccups at all,” Malik continued. “You wouldn’t have even known they weren’t here in Omaha, based on their responsiveness and what they said they were going to do.”

Though there’s no data yet to prove that spend and utilities consumption met expectations, Malik says it has definitely relieved the load on each building’s mechanical systems. “We’re still waiting on our spend and consumption figures, but there’s a really good chance we’ll exceed expectations,” he said.

“As a property manager, I appreciated that NGS went out of their way to accommodate requests during the installation. We have a wide range of tenants in both buildings and when you start a project, department managers and executives are likely to bring up their own preferences for entry. With NGS, the answer to all requests was ‘yes.’ Every time.

In addition, NGS provides great products and services. They can provide a solution for any need. Whether you’re wanting to choose your product based on looks, solar gain, sustainability, etc., they provide a solution for everybody. They’re also easy to work with and make it easy to get work done when you work with them.”

-Tim Malik, Senior Director of Property Management, First National Bank of Omaha

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