Canon in Melville wins top environmental designation

Canon U.S.A. announced Friday that its Americas headquarters has been designated a LEED Gold building, the largest of its kind on Long Island.

The U.S. Green Building Council awarded its Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification to Canon because of environment-friendly features, such as parking garages that conserve land use, water-efficient plumbing and use of recycled construction materials.

The 668,296-square-foot building at 1 Canon Park, near Exit 49 of the Long Island Expressway, opened last year. It is one of three headquarters across the globe for the camera and imaging giant.

"Canon is committed to energy-efficient practices to help reduce the environmental impact of our operations and products we distribute," said Canon U.S.A. chief executive Joe Adachi.

The Canon facility is the largest commercial building in Nassau and Suffolk counties to earn a LEED Gold certificate.

Canon moved to Melville from Lake Success after a 25-year search for new quarters. The company considered leaving for New Jersey or Connecticut but stayed because most of its employees did not want to relocate. Canon's local payroll totals about 1,800 people.