In 2009, Kentucky Eagle Inc., a beverage distributor in Lexington, KY, moved into a new green facility, a 190,000-square-foot warehouse and offices built by Lexington-based Gray Construction, and now may be the first LEED-certified beer distributorship in the nation. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a designation for buildings through a points system and four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold or platinum. LEED-certified buildings must show a reduced rate of consumption that meets a specified percentage. The new facility includes lighting on a sensor system and low- energy-consumption florescent fixtures. It also features reduced water consumption (by about 42 percent) through the use of low flow plumbing fixtures and a sprinkler system that utilizes rainwater kept in a retention pond so that no city water is needed to water the landscaping. Because recycling is also part of the LEED mix, material at the Kentucky Eagle work site, even construction debris, was recycled at rates as high as 83 percent. Kentucky Eagle President Ann McBrayer also added her own personal touches, like flooring from re-milled wood from an old tobacco barn on the construction site and countertops made with recycled beer cans. Although the new facility is 38,000 square feet, or 25 percent, larger than Kentucky Eagle’s old building, the distributor has seen about a 30 percent reduction in utility bills due to its increased energy efficiency.

Union Beer Distributors in Brooklyn, New York, activated the largest private solar installation by an American company in the NYC metropolitan area. The array will generate 100kW of power on the roof of the 120,000 sq. ft. beer distributorship, which is a division of the family-owned and -operated L. Knife & Son Companies. By significantly offsetting the facility's high demand for refrigeration in the summer season, the solar array will harness the power of the sun to save money and reduce greenhouse gases.

In an effort to be more environmentally sustainable and responsible with its resources, Cedar Rapids beer distributor Fleck Sales Co. installed two wind turbines that should save the company between five and 10 percent on energy costs long term. The company says it will consider other green initiatives like solar power down the road.

Martin Distributing Co. installed a solar panel array, the largest in the entire state, to harness the sun's energy to power the company's warehouse. The 260 solar panels installed on the roof of the company's warehouse will produce about 72,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year, which is enough power for the equivalent of five average-sized American homes.

Monarch Beverage Company announced plans to convert 85% of their fleet to compressed natural gas (CNG) and to build an on-site CNG fueling station. The official conversion of the Monarch Beverage fleet from diesel to CNG began in September 2012. Once complete, nearly 100 Monarch Beverage trucks will run on CNG. The CNG station is slated to be complete by March 15, 2013.

Markstein Beverage Co. of San Marcos sponsored the Street Smart presentation to active-duty military personnel at the Marine Corps Base at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California. The presentation was delivered to over 2,500 active-duty military personnel featuring photos and descriptions of real-life trauma incidents. Street Smart is presented by members of Stay Alive From Education (S.A.F.E.), a non-profit organization created by firefighter/paramedics in Miami-Dade County, Florida, dedicated to the prevention of underage drinking, drunk driving and illegal drug use, while encouraging seat belt use. This interactive program is a gripping and graphic real-life look at the consequences of irresponsible actions detailed by a two firefighter/paramedic team.