Arial view of Epic Campus
Well we wrapped up 2018 in grand fashion with our most impressive meeting (other than our annual Energy Expo) to date. We had 80 attendees at our meeting at Epic Software in Verona on December 5th . It was quite the tour, the word awesome isn’t close to adequate in describing the facilities. We visited just one of the 5 facilities that make up the campus, the Learning Center. It was amazing and immense.
Striking, unique, original artwork everywhere, at every step, (my Fitbit counted 6,700 of them :- ) paintings, sculpture and pieces that defy description. An auditorium that seats over 11,000, an office for virtually every employee and almost all with a window. Add to that, “The Observatory”, a huge dining hall serving up gourmet quality food*. I am certain everyone attending this event would join every Epic employee in saying “can I get a MMMMMM MMMMMM” :- )
OK, the facilities were remarkable but we were there to learn about Epic’s approach and their commitment to energy conservation. Let’s start with amazement and conclude with admiration.
Amazing that Epic has deployed sufficient alternative energy resources, (Geothermal, Solar, and Wind Turbines) and tied them into a system that satisfies over 55% of the energy requirements across the entire campus. This link will take you to a page that provides an excellent overview of Epic’s commitment to sustainability https://www.cuningham.com/2017/02/16/epic-systems-leads-sustainability/
Admiration in that Epic has clearly invested heavily in developing a culture where environmental, financial and social responsibility are a clear a priority. This is evident in the employees they have recruited and retained over the last 4 decades. Employees that have shared the same values and today there are close to 10,000 of them. It seems to validate the strategy, “Build it and they will come” and extend it “build it right and they will stay”.
Anyone interested may take a “Self Guided” tour of the entire campus. I would recommend it.
This a recipe for one of the courses served to the Epic staff and our group. Too bad we didn’t get to see the kitchen :- ) I managed to obtain the recipes for all the dishes served that day. If you are interested in seeing any of the others just shoot me an email rickkennett@thewaee.org.
