Our Commitment

Swift was born with a culture of creativity and community. Today, Swift has grown to over 70 employees and while strong within our growth, we also recognize the importance of maintaining our entrepreneurial roots and creative culture. It is this very culture that encourages our employees to give back as we strive to serve our community. Our employment practices, which celebrate diversity, are reflected in the ways in which we recruit, promote and train employees.

Additionally, Swift believes that our assets should tread lightly on the environment. Our sustainability program includes innovative ways of purchasing renewable electricity to methods of promoting honeybee populations. We are proud of our ESG program but also recognize that our program must continue to adapt to the world’s evolving needs. Here at Swift, we take our roles as fiduciaries seriously and believe our responsibilities extend to stewardship for the environment and our communities as well. Please visit our ESG program for additional information.

Christopher Peatross
Founder and CEO

Environmental

Green Buildings

Swift is committed to sustainability and enhancing its portfolio to have a positive impact on the environment. Swift’s portfolio has 9 buildings certified LEED Gold and 21 buildings that earned a 2023 Energy Star Label.

Renewable Resources

Several of Swift’s assets participate in California’s Direct Access Program. By participating in this Program, Swift is able to increase the purchase of electricity from renewable resources depending on market conditions.

Energy Reductions

Swift’s partnership with Measurabl, an energy savings AI technology company, has allowed Swift the opportunity to monitor all assets’ electricity usage and identify areas for savings.

Recycling and Waste Diversion

Swift and its contractors complete hundreds of construction projects each year. In an environmentally conscious effort, Swift and its contractors exceed regulations and recycle at least 75% of construction debris in California, where the regulation is 65%, and at least 20% of construction debris in Washington and Oregon, where recycling of construction debris is currently unregulated. As part of Swift’s building-standard recycling and diversion programs, Swift also promotes e-waste recycling with yearly collection events at all buildings at no cost to tenants.

Green Cleaning

Swift maintains a safe environment for tenants and employees by committing to the use of sustainable cleaning products, procedures, and equipment. By developing standard sustainable operating procedures for our portfolio, our service providers are required to comply with metrics developed by the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Green Building Council, Green Seal, and other industry-accepted sustainable compliance standards. Swift’s Green Strategy encourages the use of biodegradable products, eliminates or reduces the release of harmful chemicals into the environment, promotes the conservation of water & energy, and protects our tenants, visitors and employees.

 

Swift’s honey project

The Swift Honey Project was conceived during a landscape project meeting in 2015. Several of our landscaped environments in the Bay Area were far from thriving. Our landscape architect attributed the sub-optimal growth to a lack of honeybees. Honeybees are a necessary part of our ecosystem and are dying at an alarming rate. Swift decided to start a sustainable and environmentally conscious effort that would be an example for our tenants and the larger real estate community. Swift now partners with local groups to install hives at office projects in the Bay Area, Southern California, and the Pacific Northwest. These hives are producing an amazing amount of honey and our landscaping has never looked better. Happy bees, happy tenants! We like to say, “the proof is in the honey”!

    • The Terrace – LEED Gold
    • Mt Diablo Plaza - LEED Gold
    • Concord Tech Center - LEED Gold
      Concord Tech Center - LEED Gold
    • Rancho Vista Corporate Center

Social

Recruiting

Swift strongly believes that a diverse workforce enriches the social fabric of our company and encourages creative problem solving. Swift is constantly striving to ensure that its employee composition better reflects that of our tenants, investors, and communities in which we operate. We recognize that there are many different elements of diversity, but have published some of our key organizational findings here based on employee self-attestation. Swift believes recruiting a diverse workforce leads to better outcomes for both our employees and investors.

Training

Swift recognizes that training is key in promoting a bias-free workplace. We engage with our employees from day one with all employees participating in a New Hire Orientation, which touches on our guiding principles and mission, compliance and culture, and working effectively as one team. All employees also undergo annual DEI and Respectful Workplace training designed to raise awareness about unconscious bias and prejudicial views. By promoting and encouraging dialogue Swift aims to foster increased open-mindedness and diverse thinking by its employees.

Development

Swift is dedicated to providing its employees career advancement opportunities. Throughout the year employees’ participate in career-focused discussions with their managers. Swift encourages all of its employees to participate in industry affinity groups and sponsors employee participation in a variety of professional development programs.

Engagement

Swift recognizes the importance of giving back. Each Swift employee receives a paid Community Service Day so they may pursue community service opportunities of their choosing. The Firm also sponsors community service days through its Charitable Giving Committee with a focus on elevating underserved areas in our target markets.

Investment

Swift and its principals have made meaningful, recurring commitments to several local programs focused on providing resources to underrepresented populations including the Robert Toigo Foundation, Leland Scholars Program, and Basic Fund. By sponsoring educational programs for underrepresented populations in our community, we view our annual gifts to these organizations as an investment in the future of the real estate industry as it continues to grow into a more inclusive workplace.

Governance

Overview

Swift’s ESG Committee formalized its ESG policy in 2020 to cover all of Swift’s investing and operating initiatives. The ESG charter ensures that ESG is being considered in all relevant business areas and has the full support of our Executive Team. Additionally, Swift has a DEI Committee, also with the full support of our Executive Team, whose charter is to implement the firm’s DEI Policy.

Policies and Procedures

Swift has formal policies and procedures to govern Swift’s investing and operating activities. Swift’s policy includes a Code of Conduct and Ethics with an annual attestation, and provisions covering anti-money laundering, OFAC sanctions, political activities, cybersecurity & IT and whistleblower protection, among others. A Delegation of Authority Policy also exists to formalize Swift’s approval and signature authorities. These polices are reviewed and updated annually by Swift’s Compliance Committee.

Audit

Each year Swift engages an independent third-party firm to audit Swift’s financial activities. The audit firm reviews and tests Swift’s financial outcomes and publishes its findings, which are reported to the Executive Team and Investors.