NEW YORK, June 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ABM (NYSE:ABM), a leading provider of facility solutions, has initiated an Energy Performance Contracting program for Oglethorpe County Schools in Lexington, Georgia. ABM's customized solution is projected to save Oglethorpe County Schools more than $9.4 million in energy and operating costs over a 20-year period, which the school system will utilize to make facility upgrades, including the creation of a performing arts classroom at Oglethorpe County High School and improve its athletic facilities. The project launched on May 1, 2018, and is scheduled for completion in April 2019.

Energy and operations savings will be achieved by implementing lighting and HVAC upgrades at each of the school system's facilities.

"ABM's Energy Performance Contracting program allows the school system to upgrade their facilities with no upfront costs, while creating significant savings," said Mark Newsome, President of ABM Technical Solutions. "Oglethorpe County Schools will be able to use these savings to upgrade facilities and add a new performing arts center, which creates a positive impact for their students and enhances their educational and extracurricular opportunities."

The project will allow Oglethorpe County Schools to make several vital upgrades to its athletic facilities. Improvements will include the installation of LED lighting systems at the Oglethorpe County High School's baseball and softball fields for the first time, which will allow the school to host its first after-dark games. The project will also provide the funding for a new track, new scoreboards with features for advertising opportunities at the football and soccer stadium, and softball and baseball fields, renovations to the home and visitors field houses and concession stands, and repairs to bleachers.

The project will also afford the school system the ability to build a large performing arts classroom by combining two classrooms and installing new flooring, a ceiling and relocating its existing electrical system.

Oglethorpe County School System planned to postpone the upgrades until a bond had been paid in full in 2023. After meeting with representatives from ABM, who customized a solution to help meet their needs, school administrators realized they would be able to use the savings to address their facility needs immediately.

"This project is allowing Oglethorpe School System to use capital funds available in the future, now to take care of its facility needs," Newsome said. "It is a vehicle to allow the school system to address other needs above and beyond the guaranteed savings."

ABM's Energy Performance Contracting Program will enable the school system to make these upgrades without impacting its capital budget. The program is designed as a financial solution to meet clients' technical facility needs and sustainability goals. The goal is to drive costs out of a client's operating budget, allowing savings to be reallocated to fund mission critical facility needs. Click here for a video on how ABM is providing facility and financial solutions to school districts without upfront costs or tax increases.

"The customized solution ABM is delivering will help us make several large infrastructure and capital upgrades across the entire school system we may not have been able to fund for several years," said Beverley Levine, Superintendent of Oglethorpe County School System. "ABM's expertise provides us with a financial solution to improve our students' learning environment and athletic facilities."

Energy-efficiency enhancements will include:

• Retrofitting lighting systems to energy-efficient LED lighting and Oglethorpe County High School, Oglethorpe County Middle School, Oglethorpe County Elementary School, Oglethorpe County Primary School, the Board of Education Center, Athletic Facilities, Technology Center, and Maintenance and Transportation facilities
• Upgrading all HVAC systems, including the replacement of seven roof top units, six split systems, 17 packaged terminal units, two mini split units and 71 wall-hung pump units at Oglethorpe County High School
• All school system HVAC units will be controlled by state-of-the-art HVAC control systems to maximize energy and operational efficiency
• Ventilation systems at each of the school system's buildings will be upgraded, and each building will be sealed
• The Oglethorpe County High School, Oglethorpe County Elementary School, Family Connections and Maintenance facility roofing will be repaired or upgraded
• Water conservation systems and hand dryers will be installed across the entire school system

For more information on ABM's Energy Performance Contracting Program and other offerings, visit www.abm.com.

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ABOUT ABM

ABM (NYSE:ABM) is a leading provider of facility solutions with revenues of approximately $5.5 billion and more than 130,000 employees in 350+ offices throughout the United States and various international locations. ABM's comprehensive capabilities include janitorial, electrical & lighting, energy solutions, facilities engineering, HVAC & mechanical, landscape & turf, mission critical solutions and parking, provided through stand-alone or integrated solutions. ABM provides custom facility solutions in urban, suburban and rural areas to properties of all sizes - from schools and commercial buildings to hospitals, data centers, manufacturing plants and airports. ABM Industries Incorporated, which operates through its subsidiaries, was founded in 1909. For more information, visit www.abm.com.

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