Corporate Responsibility
and Community Service

As a leader in the construction industry, Leopardo is committed to being a responsible company and making a positive impact in the communities in which we serve. Through numerous channels, Leopardo proudly contributes its time, talents and resources to help make a difference with those in need.

In 2010, Leopardo accepted the Communitas Leadership Award for corporate social responsibility and community service. The Communitas Award recognizes exceptional businesses that unselfishly give of themselves and their resources, and that are changing how they do business to benefit their communities. According to the judges from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), Leopardo clearly exhibited the spirit of communitas, a Latin word that means people coming together for the good of a community. Leopardo was the only Illinois recipient and the only general contractor to win.

Leopardo is a leader in smart, innovative and sustainable construction, and committed to the highest ethical standards in all that we do.  Below are some “Points of Pride” highlighting our contributions over the years.  

Leopardo Points of Pride:

• Since February 2008, Leopardo employees have collaborated on 24 community service projects for organizations like American Red Cross, WINGS, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Wayside Cross Ministries, Salvation Army, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Plum Creek Retirement Home, Bright Hope International, Habitat for Humanity, Vietnam Veterans of America, and more.
  >>Complete List of Projects
  
  
• As part of our Total Quality Management commitment to continuous improvement, Leopardo maintains an in-house community service committee that spearheads our community efforts. The committee’s mission is to provide Leopardo employees the opportunity to serve our communities and others in need by giving of ourselves as a company.
  
  
• Leopardo CEO Jim Leopardo has served on the Board at YMCA Metropolitan of Chicago and received the Volunteer of the Year and Family of the Year Awards. He has also served on the Board at JFK Health World, a non-profit children’s health education museum. He sponsors and mentors a number of high school and college students, and volunteers his time as a sports coach for his local high school, regularly speaks to construction students at his Alma Mater to help them prepare for future careers and has personally provided funds for a YMCA “sports court” and founded the Ela Township YMCA’s first Indian Guides Program, as well as acted as a youth basketball coach.
  
  
• Formed in 1999, Liquidated Damages is a group of musicians from Leopardo and its business partners. The band was organized primarily for the purpose of playing fundraisers and helping to make a difference in the community. In seven years of performing at the REACH Social at the Chicago House of Blues, Liquidated Damages, through its own personal ticket sales, has raised over $325,000 for the City of Hope to aid in pediatric cancer research. The City of Hope REACH Committee, which is chaired by Leopardo Senior Vice President Rick DuPraw, has raised nearly $2 million since being founded in 1996. Rick is a drummer and occasional vocalist for Liquidated Damages. The band has also helped raise money for a number of additional charities including UPS for DownS, the Federation of Women Contractors and Hephzibah Children’s Association.

• Every year, the Leopardo Charitable Foundation (LCF), aids dozens of deserving charities that promote education, health, technology and support the well being of citizens. Recently, the Foundation has contributed to The Greater Chicago Food Depository, City of Hope, The Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Tabitha House, Special Olympics and many others. Since its inception in 2006, LCF has raised and donated $779,626.50 through 2009. Prior to the formal creation of the foundation, Leopardo donated $264,448 to charity in the two prior years. Although donations before 2004 did occur, they were not formally tracked. In total, $1,044,074.40 has been raised and donated in this six year period. Despite the tough economic times of our current economy, LCF has donated $183,726.50 in 2009. The Leopardo Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is dedicated to the core values of honesty, modesty, courtesy, compassion and respect.
  
  
• Leopardo is a recognized leader in sustainable building practices with extensive project experience that spans all levels of LEED construction, including Silver, Gold and Platinum ratings. Leopardo has 30 LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs) on staff and is currently working on several green roof and LEED-seeking projects.

• Beyond our active role at both the local and national levels of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Leopardo is proud to have its general superintendent serve as the 2009 Vice Chair on the Board of Directors of the USGBC-Chicago Chapter.
  
  
• As a testament to our green leadership, Leopardo was selected as the exclusive contractor of the 2007 International Greenbuild Legacy Project, a LEED-Platinum project at the Chicago Center for Green Technology.

• As part of our corporate culture, Leopardo created a TQM (Total Quality Management) committee that is dedicated to recycling, energy conservation and reducing or eliminating any negative impact on the environment. With 25 active employee members, this committee promotes the benefits of green construction with clients and encourages green practices internally with recycling, energy conservation, use of environmentally-friendly building materials, etc. 
  
  
• Leopardo also has energy saving policies in our office. In the last three years alone we have reduced our electricity usage by 500,000 kilowatt-hours, which equates to eliminating 390 metric tons of CO2 or 134 tons of landfill waste.
  
  
• Leopardo has started a program to replace all company vehicles with hybrid or other fuel efficient cars and trucks. In many cases, vehicles have been replaced with significantly smaller units. By doing this, we’ve reduced our gasoline consumption by 25,000 gallons, which equates to 218 metric tons of CO2 or 75 tons of landfill waste. 
  
  
• Community Revitalization Projects – Through major renovation and restoration projects that stimulate economic development, we give back to the community. One recent project example that serves as a great source of pride is our work in the strategic repositioning of the landmark Carson Pirie Scott building. We helped turn the building into the Sullivan Center, a modern, multi-tenant, mixed-use property for retail, commercial and educational tenants. In addition to employing a large local workforce and retaining many different local subcontractors for nearly two years, Leopardo and this project have revitalized part of the Chicago Loop while maintaining its tie to the past. The new space, which is attracting new businesses and revenues to the City, is also adding to Chicago’s cultural environment with the Fashion School and Display Gallery for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.