New TnT Headquarters Boasts Extreme ‘Green’ Footprint

By John Voket & Shannon Hicks

“We’ve come a long way in the past ten years, when we had to climb the stairs to an area over my garage,” CEO Michael Bodetti said as he readied a huge pair of scissors to cut the ribbon at the sprawling glass and steel headquarters of Newtown-based TnT Expense Management.

The grand opening of the facility on Turnberry Lane in the Curtis Corporate Park marks another successful chapter in the relatively short history of this premier global provider of telecommunications and technology expense management.

The company, which was first established in Mr Bodetti’s garage loft, provides a complete range of managed services designed to reduce or optimize telecom and wireless expenses for global enterprise clients in all major industries and government. 

The company’s state-of-the-art, trademarked systems and software have the capability to analyze, monitor, and manage inventory with a high degree of efficiency, providing its international clientele reduced overall cost, along with control and transparency for their telecom environment. 

Besides its newly occupied headquarters in Sandy Hook, TnT Expense Management maintains offices in New York, California, Hamburg, Germany, and Paris, France, with additional offices in Japan and the UK slated to open in early 2009.

During the recent ribbon-cutting ceremonies, Mr Bodetti offered welcoming remarks in the building’s glass-encased lobby before moving employees and invited guests, including First Selectman Joe Borst and members of the Chamber of Commerce, outdoors for the ribbon cutting.

“This is a significant milestone in TnT’s growth and long-term strategy,” Mr Bodetti said as the huge red ribbon fluttered to the ground. “Today [the company] offers challenging, corporate-type jobs with the opportunity for growth right here in Newtown.”

Not only does the company offer potential for job growth locally, but the timing of the new building’s opening coincides well for TnT during a precarious economy.

“TnT is expecting a lot of growth,” said Mr Bodetti. “We have a lot of new clients coming to us. We are somewhat recession-proof because the people who come to us are hoping to save some money.”

Jordan Gurevich, who serves as TnT’s house counsel, told The Newtown Bee he appreciated that the facility was designed and built with environmental responsibility and energy efficiency in mind.

“The building was designed in a shape that would contour to the existing conditions of the lot and allow the back side of the building to be partially below grade,” Mr Gurevich said. “This lowered the exposed exterior walls of the building shell, contributing to the energy rating.”

He said special care was taken during construction to protect the state conservation easement located on the property, supporting the continued protection of the natural habitat.

“The property is located in the Aquifer Protection area and considerations had to be made to leave the existing soils on the site while still building a suitable building,” Mr Gurevich added. “The exterior envelope of the building is constructed of high-efficiency glass, fiberglass core sheathing, and insulation that contain 60 percent post-consumer recycled material. Even the floor covering contains recycled materials and was installed using production with low VOC emission.”

The building’s exterior veneer is a combination of brick and stucco materials that is environmentally friendly, while boasting a considerably long lifespan before needing replacement or repair.

The building’s energy efficiency is also something Mr Bodetti is proud of, adding that its computerized HVAC system controlling 31 separate zones “makes it much easier to keep everyone comfortable,” he said.

“We’ve built in a contingency power system — we can run indefinitely as long as we have fuel. We even have a gym, to keep the staff in shape,” he added.

For additional information on TnT Expense Management, visit www.tntem.com.