TEXTILE MAGNATE OFFERS MATCHING DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR DONATION

South Carolina textile and manufacturing magnate Roger Milliken is making a sizable donation to the State Republican Party in an effort to help the organization pay down its debt and become more environmentally friendly.

SCGOP Chairman Karen Floyd joined Milliken, 94, at a press conference Monday to announce a dollar-for-dollar matching donation that would pay off the party’s headquarters mortgage and allow them to invest in sustainable building practices.

“Today’s announcement is one more example of an incredible vision and stewardship on the part of Mr. Milliken,” Floyd said. “Mr. Milliken has not only been a great steward of the Party over the years, but of the earth as well. We thank him for introducing us to the LEED concept, and his vision of the long-term cost reductions this investment will mean – along with our reduced consumption of energy and water – will be a tremendous legacy for our Party.”

Floyd said the party is using the opportunity to upgrade the facility to green building standards, also known as LEED standards — which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — a concept introduced to the party by Milliken.

Milliken has a long record of helping out Republicans. He was a major fundraiser for both of Pat Buchanan’s presidential bids and has given millions to Republicans during his lifetime.

The cost between the SCGOP mortgage balance and the needed upgrades is approximately $500,000, of which Milliken has agreed to match up to half of the mortgage balance on a dollar-for-dollar basis up until Dec. 7, 2009.

“I believe that as Republicans, we should not only be conservative with our financial resources, but equally conservative with natural resources as well, which is part of why I’ve become so passionate about LEED standards,” Milliken said. “An investment in LEED standards is an investment in the future because of its long-term impact on water and energy costs. Building to LEED standards also demonstrates our commitment to sustainability, something my company has been focused on for many years.”

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED measures a number of criteria, including site sustainability, water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and others. There are currently over 19,000 projects registered with the LEED system, including projects in all 50 states and in 91 countries.