BOMA CANADA, BOMA INTERNATIONAL JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH NEW CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IN U.S.

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—January 21, 2023) The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and BOMA Canada signed a letter of intent Jan. 21 to create a new building certification program in the United States. The BOMA BEST program began operating in Canada in 2005.

The organizations are collaborating to finalize an agreement by the end of May.

“I’m so happy that this is happening and we’re all together,” BOMA International Chair Randal L. Froebelius, BOMA Fellow, P.Eng., said during the signing ceremony at the Winter Business Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. “It’s going to be a big change for all of us and will have a huge impact on sustainability, frankly, around the world. We should all be proud of this. Congratulations!”

Myron Keehn, chair of BOMA Canada’s board of directors, echoed Froebelius. “Our partnership with BOMA International to drive BOMA BEST into the United States is a milestone achievement for our sister organizations,” he said. “Together, we are building a stronger, better and greener BOMA for members on both sides of our shared border.”

In addition to Froebelius and Keehn, Henry Chamberlain, BOMA International’s president and chief operating officer, and Benjamin Shinewald, president and chief executive officer of BOMA Canada, signed the letter of intent.

BOMA BEST supporters said it is complementary to the current BOMA 360 Performance Program.

BOMA BEST is an environmental assessment and certification program for existing buildings. Program supporters said it addresses an industry need for realistic standards for energy and environmental performance of existing buildings based on accurate, independently verified information. The most efficient buildings achieve BOMA BEST Platinum certification.

In contrast, BOMA 360 sets a global standard for operational best practices in the commercial real estate industry, BOMA International’s website notes. Earning the BOMA 360 designation demonstrates that a building is outperforming the competition across all areas of operations and management.
“The BOMA International-BOMA Canada partnership will not just make BOMA buildings greener, smarter and healthier, but will also help BOMA members succeed in their jobs, build their careers and deepen their impact,” Shinewald said,

BOMA International leaders also said the joint initiative would create a substantial new revenue stream for the BOMA local associations in the United States, enabling them to create new member benefits and services.

Don Fairgrieve-Park, BOMA Fellow, RPA® and a member of BOMA International’s executive committee, agreed.

“BOMA BEST provides a manager/owner with continuous access to a tool to monitor and measure performance, demonstrate improvement, benchmark and aggregate reporting across all property types,” said Fairgrieve-Park, who also is executive vice president of operational excellence at QuadReal Property Group in Canada.

“Independent financial studies have demonstrated BOMA BEST buildings command higher rents, have lower vacancy rates and higher asset value,” he said.

BOMA BEST proponents also have said this program is more cost-effective than some other industry certifications.

BOMA leaders are expected to finalize the new partnership shortly before BOMA International’s 2023 Conference & Expo in Kansas City, Mo., June 24–27.

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About BOMA International

Founded in 1907, BOMA International is a federation of 85 U.S. local associations and 17 international affiliates. It is a leading trade association for commercial real estate professionals and represents the owners, managers, service providers and other property professionals of all commercial building types, including office, industrial, medical, corporate and mixed-use. It is the partner individuals in the commercial real estate industry choose to maximize value for their careers, organizations and assets. Learn more at www.boma.org.

About BOMA Canada

BOMA Canada is a dynamic federation composed of over 3,100 members in the commercial real estate industry representing more than 2.1 billion square feet of office space in Canada. Its members include building owners, managers, developers, facilities managers, asset managers, leasing agents and brokers, investors and service providers.

Contact

For more details, contact BOMA International at communications@boma.org.