PRESS RELEASE
RICOH TO PLACE FIRST ECO-POWERED ELECTRONIC BILLBOARD IN NEW YORK CITY'S TIMES SQUARE
Sign to be 100 Percent Powered by Solar and Wind Power
West Caldwell, NJ, July 02, 2008 - Ricoh Americas Corporation announced today that its parent company, Ricoh Company, Ltd. of Tokyo, will erect a sign in New York City's Times Square that will be 100 percent powered by solar and wind power. The electronic billboard, the first ever to be totally powered by natural resources in Times Square, will be located at 3 Times Square at the corner of 7th Avenue and 42nd Street.
The sign, which is 47 feet high by 126 feet long, will be illuminated by floodlights and powered by 45 solar panels and 4 turbines for wind generation. By using all natural energy sources, Ricoh will reduce the amount of CO2 usage by 18 tons per year. If there is not enough solar or wind power, the Times Square sign will not be illuminated. Ricoh also currently has a similar eco-powered sign in Osaka, Japan, that uses 100 percent solar and wind power.
"Ricoh is pleased to have such a large presence in Times Square, but we are even more excited that we will be able to do so without the need for an electrical power source other than those provided by natural resources," said Kirk Yoshida, Deputy President of Ricoh Company Ltd., and Chairman & CEO of Ricoh Americas Corporation. "By having the eco-friendly sign in Times Square, Ricoh will not only be able to promote our brand, but also show to the world that we are a leader in environmental conservation and at the forefront of sustainable environmental management for years."
Environmental preservation has been a top priority for Ricoh for over 30 years. In 1976 Ricoh established an Environmental Protection Group that works to keep Ricoh's environmental goals and strategies as a key consideration when planning, developing, designing and promoting new products and services. Out of this group, Ricoh developed an Environmental Action Plan that envisioned society in 2050 and its impact on the environment and business operations, concluding that companies need to develop specific action plans by focusing on the environment in the long-term. Through this program, Ricoh will be able to help businesses maintain operational efficiencies and at the same time reduce their carbon footprints.
About Ricoh Americas Corporation
Ricoh Americas Corporation, headquartered in West Caldwell, N.J., is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 72-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment and electronics, with fiscal year 2007 sales in excess of $22 billion, a 7.3 percent increase over the previous year. Ricoh Americas Corporation is an industry leader in creating innovate products and management processes that promote sustainability. As the Total Green Office Solution provider, Ricoh offers products, services and document management solutions that promote energy efficiency, pollution prevention, waste reduction and resource recycling. In early 2008, Corporate Knights Inc. of Canada named Ricoh one of the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World" for the fourth consecutive year. Ricoh Americas Corporation directly or through its network of authorized dealers markets and distributes products in North, Central and South America. Information about Ricoh's complete range of products and services can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.ricoh-usa.com.
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