Nantahala Outdoor Center is celebrating the company’s 40th anniversary by giving its flagship outfitter’s store in the Nantahala Gorge an environmentally friendly facelift: the store is en route to the coveted LEED Gold certification.

The Outfitter’s Store will be NOC’s third LEED-certified retail store.

“We hold ourselves to a high environmental and professional standard. It is vitally important that our industry move forward, and our goal is to lead the way with a positive example,” NOC President and CEO Sutton Bacon said.

The overhaul of NOC’s Outfitter’s Store will improve the environmental impact of NOC’s business and reduce the company’s carbon footprint. The project of transforming the store includes replacing the HVAC system with a high efficiency system, replacing existing lights with reduced-wattage ones and recycling most of the leftover construction materials.

NOC has applied for LEED certification with the U.S. Green Building Council, the top third-party designation for green building.

LEED Gold certification involves adhering to extensive measures in construction and interior design, and requires close to a “perfect score” when measuring the overall environmental efficacy of a building.

A grand reopening of the building is planned for April 2012.