Thirteen Businesses in Three States Receive Green Plus Recognition

Four North Carolina Businesses Become Green Plus Certified; Companies in Pennsylvania and Connecticut Complete First Stage of Certification

Thirteen businesses in the Green Plus program were recognized by the Institute for Sustainable Development for their exceptional efforts toward triple bottom line sustainability. Four businesses received full Green Plus certification, and nine were recognized as Green Plus Movers – businesses that have completed the first major step in the Institute’s sustainable small business certification process. Businesses receiving full Green Plus certification included The Redwoods Group, Riley Life Industries, Inc., Bland Landscaping and Zemo Trevathan & Associates.

Laser Plus, a printer and remanufactured toner company, became the first Pennsylvania business to be recognized by the Institute’s Green Plus program. One Minute Green, a sustainability consulting service, became the first Connecticut business to complete phase one of Green Plus certification. Other Green Plus Movers include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Business Class, Inc., Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center, Homewood Suites by Hilton, MG Capital Maintenance, One Minute Green, Quality Staffing Specialists, and Springleaf Strategies. (Please see below for a full description of each business or see www.gogreenplus.org).

“Green Plus is a triple bottom line sustainability business certification – Planet plus People plus Performance,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. “One of the most exciting things about this new class of Green Plus certified businesses is that they are exceptional in the People part of the triple bottom line.”

Bland Landscaping, for example, requires monthly community service by of all of its senior management and has noteworthy programs to engage all of its employees in the success of its business. “The future of any business will impend on its ability to be a responsible corporate citizen that makes a positive impact on society while earning a profit,” said co-owner Kurt Bland. “Using the Green Plus tools and pursuing the certification, business owners are empowered to better guide their organizations along the path of long term success. We are proud to be part of the most recent Green Plus graduating class,” Bland concluded.

The Redwoods Group, the largest insurer of YMCAs in the country, was one of only fifteen businesses in the country to receive The Wall Street Journal’s Top Small Workplaces award in 2008. Kevin Trapani, President and CEO of The Redwoods Group, said, “We strongly believe that business can and should be a powerful force for positive social change. What I love about Green Plus is that we have to assess the efficacy of our products as well as the robust nature of our profits.”

The Institute for Sustainable Development is a public-private partnership between centers at Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Greater Durham Chambers of Commerce, the Fenwick Foundation and the Foundation for a Sustainable Community. Major corporate supporters include GlaxoSmithKline and Lenovo. The Institute’s overall business plan for Green Plus was commissioned in 2007 by Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Center for Sustainable Enterprise at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business developed the plan, and a partnership of centers at UNC, Duke University, chambers of commerce and philanthropic foundations built and tested the program with small businesses in North Carolina and Ohio in 2008. The program was formally launched in North Carolina in February and in Pennsylvania in June.

Green Plus is designed to provide small and medium sized employers with affordable educational tools and university assistance in becoming sustainable, access to a network of peers, and brand support in the form of certification for those organizations with exceptional sustainability performance.  “It has been a wonderful learning and networking process, becoming part of the Green Plus program,” said Zemo Trevathan of Zemo Trevathan & Associates.  “I have been very impressed with the track record the Institute for Sustainable Development has with providing concrete help to companies in fulfilling triple bottom line objectives.”

New Certified Green Plus Businesses

Bland Landscaping

Since 2005, Bland Landscaping has implemented a variety of environmental and social initiatives to reduce costs to the company, improve the lives of its employees, clients, vendors and reduce waste to the environment. Among other environmental initiatives, Bland Landscaping uses hybridized 4-mix engines instead of traditional 2 cycle engines when purchasing handheld tools, has an extensive recycling program, uses vehicles powered by B20 biodiesel, and uses environmentally friendly pesticides.  Bland Landscaping also prides themselves on social initiatives such as mandatory paid community service days each month, cultivation of elementary school gardens, and Habitat for Humanity landscaping projects.  Bland Landscaping is committed to a triple bottom line approach where people, profit, and planet are all equally emphasized.

Riley Life Industries, Inc.

Riley Life’s corporate values are passion, integrity, innovation, and sustainability. Riley Life, located in Durham, NC, provides outsourced service support including order fulfillment, kitting and packaging, product distribution and warehousing to sustainability-minded companies. Riley Life’s business philosophy relies heavily on the triple bottom line of sustainability: social, economic and environmental.

In their own words: “The namesake of Riley Life Industries – Riley Bingham – is a vivacious 2-year-old with her whole life ahead of her. With that in mind, we seek to understand the future implications of our actions by focusing on the economic, social, and environmental impacts of our business. We use 100% recyclable packaging materials, pay for gas for employees who carpool, and partner with sustainability-minded vendors. As a company, we participate in monthly community philanthropic activities and make the schedule available on our website.” While “going green” is generally associated with drinking lattes, wearing sandals with socks and smelling of patchouli oil, we like to think of it as making the world a better place for the cutest little girl on Earth.”

The Redwoods Group

The Redwoods Group, based in Morrisville, North Carolina, is the largest insurer of YMCAs in the country. The Redwoods Group’s motto is Serve Others, and it is dedicated to improving and protecting the communities that it serves.  In the company’s focus statement, President and CEO Kevin Trapani declares, “We strongly believe that business can and should be a powerful force for positive social change.”

The Wall Street Journal and the nonprofit organization Winning Workplaces named The Redwoods Group one of 15 winners of the 2008 Top Small Workplaces award. Redwoods, the first North Carolina company to win this prestigious award, competed against 800 businesses across the nation. The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce selected Redwoods to receive its Smith Seal of North Carolina Sustainable Business Award, part of its 2009 Pinnacle Business Award competition. The company was recognized in April 2009 as a Green Plus Mover, having successfully completed the first phase of certification for Green Plus. The Triangle Business Journal recognized Redwoods as one of the 2008 50 fastest growing private companies in the Triangle and ranked the company sixth in its list of Top Corporate Philanthropists (first in size). The United Way of North Carolina selected the firm for its 2008 and 2007 Spirit of North Carolina award for Redwoods’ overall commitment to United Way and the community. Redwoods won the 2008 Best Model Campaign Award from the Triangle United Way. The Raleigh News & Observer touted Redwoods as the third “greenest” company in the Triangle for its 2007 environmental efforts. Sustainable North Carolina honored Redwoods with its 2007 Corporate Social Responsibility award.

Zemo Trevathan & Associates

Zemo Trevathan & Associates specializes in sustainability consulting, business value analytics and leadership coaching. Trevathan is known for his ability to create training environments that foster deep trust, collaboration, and effective communication in which team members and individuals uncover new skills and enhance existing ones.  In Zemo’s executive coaching as well as in trainings and team interventions, the focus is on aligning individuals and groups with their own intrinsic values and motivations so they can contribute fully and excel in the endeavors that matter most to them.

New Green Plus Movers

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants is the national professional association of CPAs. It has more than 350,000 members, including CPAs in business and industry, public practice, government, and education; student affiliates; and international associates. The AICPA sets ethical standards for the profession and U.S. auditing standards for audits of private companies; federal, state and local governments; and non-profit organizations; and develops and grades the Uniform CPA Examination.

The AICPA is one of 16 global accounting bodies holding membership in the Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability Forum.  Barry Melancon, AICPA president and CEO, and Bob Laux, member of the board of directors, represented the Institute at the Forum’s first event in December 2008 in the United Kingdom.

Business Class

Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Business Class provides resources for managers and business owners who want to boost productivity and morale. “We have a passion for business and making it fun, satisfying and productive for all involved,” says Founder, Jan Bolick. Bolick has combined her experiences as a CEO, general manager, salesperson, leader, follower, organizer, volunteer, fundraiser, teacher, student and parent, to develop customized training and coaching programs to suit the needs of each client.

Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center

Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center is Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Chatham county’s oldest family-owned tire and auto repair facility. Founded in 1953, Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center has woven itself into the fabric of the surrounding community. Over the years, Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center has become the place to go for auto service and tires, and has come to symbolize excellence in tires and auto service.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Durham-Chapel Hill

Homewood Suites in Durham is an extended stay hotel that is committed to providing excellent service and accommodations to customers as well as setting an example to the industry about outstanding employee and environmental treatment.  Homewood Suites in Durham has recently retrofitted their facilities with energy efficient light bulbs and made a shift to a more environmentally friendly laundry detergent.  Homewood Suites hopes that its triple bottom line approach will serve as both a competitive edge in the hospitality industry as well as an example for other hotel chains to follow.

MG Capital Maintenance

MG Capital Maintenance is a minority owned and operated commercial janitorial company located in Morrisville, NC, that adheres to environmentally responsible cleaning practices by providing chemicals, equipment, paper and other supplies that are certified by the Green Seal and the CRI Green Label Testing Program. MG Capital Maintenance is also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. MG Capital Maintenance recognizes that diversity contributes to the bottom line by increasing employee retention, lowering costs by developing skills in-house, and developing a reputation that helps attract new employees. 

Laser Plus

Laser Plus has offered quality recycled toner cartridges for 25 years. Over time Laser Plus has created a unique solid waste savings report, which customers can use internally and externally as proof of efforts they are making to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, last year one of Laser Plus’ insurance companies kept 1,724 pounds of solid waste out of our local landfills at a financial savings of $21,000. Laser Plus is committed to performing well in the profit margins, while treating employees well and doing their part to maintain environmental integrity.

One Minute Green

One Minute Green, based in Connecticut, provides a community web site with information about new green products, businesses, jobs, local green initiatives and projects. One Minute Green also works directly with consumers, small-to-medium sized businesses and organizations to identify cost-effective ways to save money, products and resources by going green.

Quality Staffing Specialists

Quality Staffing Specialists is a full-service staffing agency serving the needs of companies all over the Triangle area of North Carolina. Quality Staffing has grown to become the largest woman owned business in the Triangle. Quality Staffing Specialists began providing temporary help to the Triangle area of North Carolina in 1995. Their Triangle staff has over 122 years cumulative staffing and human resources experience. This, as well as their commitment to service, has led them to become one of the largest independently owned personnel services in the Triangle.

Springleaf Strategies

Springleaf Strategies helps companies to create a sustainability vision and marketing plan. By incorporating sustainability-focused decisions into daily operations, Springleaf Strategies is committed to making a positive impact on the business community. Sustainability is integrated into their mission.  Springleaf Strategies is always asking, “Is this the best alternative for the environment, the community, and the business?”

(July 6, 2009 – North Carolina Research Triangle) The Institute for Sustainable Development appointed a new Director and announced its new staff, including two Senior Fellows.

Chris Carmody, a social entrepreneur who was hired by the Institute in 2008 to launch its Green Plus program, will direct the programs of the Institute overall. Carmody has an MBA from Case Western Reserve University and 20 years experience in non-profit management and public policy. As Director, he will oversee the development of public-private sustainability programs to share with communities in the U.S. and globally.

“In Green Plus, the Institute has done a great job in providing a sustainable small business certification and education process,” Carmody said. “Our vision moving forward is to make sustainability truly accessible to organizations regardless of their size or means, and to share the unique stories of business as they pursue the triple bottom line,”Carmody concluded.

Green Plus was created to help small employers – businesses and non-profits – assess their sustainability in terms of organizational performance, the environment, and their engagement of their employees and communities. Exceptional performers in across all three categories of People, Planet and Performance are recognized as Certified Green Plus businesses.

The Institute named two Senior Fellows: Aaron Nelson and Shana Starobin. “The North Carolina Research Triangle community should be very proud of its leadership role in helping businesses and communities toward triple bottom line sustainability,” said Aaron Nelson. “This is the right team to take the Green Plus effort to other regions and other countries,” Nelson concluded.

Nelson is currently the CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Foundation for a Sustainable Community, which conceived of and incubated the Institute’s Green Plus program. In 2008, the Foundation was recognized with the National Siemens Sustainable Communities Award - an award of Siemens and the Business Civic Leadership Center. Nelson will provide advice on strategic partnerships between the Institute, chambers of commerce and other business membership organizations.

Shana Starobin, a social entrepreneur and PhD student at Duke University, was also named Senior Fellow. Starobin will coordinate the development of the Institute’s Sustainability Enterprise Clinic, its national Sustainability Fellows program, and will oversee the development of new online tools to educate smaller enterprises on issues of sustainability.

Kirsten Hausman, who served as a Program Director for the Foundation for a Sustainable Community, was named Director of Client Relations and Communications. Anne McKune, who served as Associate Director of the Foundation, will continue as Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships.

“The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry recognizes that the well being of our members and our environment are integral to our economic prosperity,” said Tom Baldrige, President of The Chamber. “We are working to connect businesses with resources to help them implement green practices in their purchasing, day-to-day operations and employees’ lifestyles. Green Plus is a great tool to connect our members with expertise.”

Smaller enterprises comprise the vast majority of employers in the United States and are responsible for most new job creation – but have the least time and money to afford sustainability expertise. The Institute for Sustainable Development created the Green Plus program in recognition of this fact to help small businesses become more competitive while being better stewards of their communities and their environment.

The Institute for Sustainable Development is an initiative of universities, chambers of commerce, business and philanthropic foundations to connect small business with academic and peer expertise in sustainability. Partners include the Duke Center for International Development, the UNC Center for Global Initiatives, the UNC School of Social Work, the Chapel Hill – Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, the Durham Chamber of Commerce, GlaxoSmithKline, Lenovo and the Fenwick Foundation.

In 2007, the business plan for the program was commissioned by Tony Waldrop, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, and the plan was developed by the Center for Sustainable Enterprise at UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. Since then, the Institute has worked with centers at UNC and Duke University, chambers of commerce in the southeast and Midwest, businesses and philanthropic organizations to build the Green Plus program.

Chris Carmody, Director of the Green Plus program, said, “Green Plus was created in large part to help chambers help their members succeed while being better stewards of the environment and their communities, and to give them affordable access to world class expertise.” “The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a real leader among chambers in terms of triple bottom line sustainability,” Carmody continued. “We look forward to working with them and are excited about the new connections we think will occur between Pennsylvania and North Carolina businesses through this partnership,” Carmody concluded.

ISD Summer Fellows, from left to right: Brooks Rainey Pearson, Dale Hammer, Amanda Campbell, Elizabeth Liedel, and Teddy Salgado

The Institute for Sustainable Development named its six 2009 Summer Sustainability Fellows: Amanda Campbell, Dale Hammer, Elizabeth Liedel, Brooks Rainey Pearson, Teddy Salgado, and Napoleon Wallace. The Fellows, currently graduate and undergraduate students at Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, bring a wealth of experience from their work background and their studies in business, environmental studies, law, planning and public policy.

“The Institute’s Sustainability Fellows program is central to our mission,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Sustainable Business Initiative. “This interdiscplinary team will help small employers with practical sustainability expertise, and we hope their field experiences here will provide a new experience for them as well,” Carmody concluded.

Along with Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill and the Chapel Hill – Carrboro and Greater Durham Chambers of Commerce, the Institute Summer Sustainability Fellows program is supported by several companies and philanthropic foundations: GlaxoSmithKline, Lenovo, The Fenwick Foundation and the Redwoods Group.

Amanda Campbell

Amanda is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning with a specialization in land/use and environmental planning at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Before coming to UNC, she was a Park Naturalist at Gulf Branch Nature Center, for Arlington County, Virginia. Accomplishments included leading programs for adults on water conservation, integrated pest management, Energy Audits 101, and backyard wildlife habitats. She also pursuaded the county’s Energy Manager to fund an energy audit for nature center, which led to renovations, and a more comfortable, energy-efficient building. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, and minors in Environmental Studies and Music from James Madison University, VA.

Dale Hammer

Dale was born and raised in northwestern New Jersey and has considered himself a Tar Heel his entire life.   He spent his freshman year at Providence College in Rhode Island and is currently a rising senior at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in environmental studies and political science.  Dale considers himself an environmentalist and serves as service chair of Phi Sigma Pi national honor fraternity where he organizes stream clean-ups and other community service activities.  After graduation, he plans to continue his education at UNC School of Law and pursue a career in environmental law.   Dale looks forward to the opportunity to intern at Green Plus where he hopes to gain valuable experience in the field.

Elizabeth Liedel

Elizabeth Liedel is a joint degree candidate at Duke University, pursuing an MBA at the Fuqua School of Business and a Master of Environmental Management at the Nicholas School for the Environment. She is on the Executive Committee of the Duke Microfinance Leadership Initiative and is active in Fuqua’s Net Impact chapter, the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, and the Association of Women in Business. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG), a Boston-based non-profit that incubates small businesses which manufacture green technologies to improve access to clean water, sanitation and renewable energy for the global poor. Prior to returning to school, Elizabeth worked in major gifts fundraising for Combined Jewish Philanthropies. She has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Smith College, where she has also served on the Board of Trustees.

Brooks Rainey Pearson

Brooks Rainey Pearson is a dual degree student at UNC working toward a law degree as well as a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning.  Brooks graduated from UNC in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and spent six years in the Outer Banks where she owned and operated three yoga and Pilates studios before returning to Chapel Hill for school in 2006.  Since her return, Brooks has pursued her interest in land use and environmental law.  She was the vice president of the Environmental Law Project, was published in the Environmental Law Symposium Journal, and completed an independent study on the tax law of conservation easements.  Brooks hopes to build a career helping organizations and municipalities grow sustainably.

Teddy Salgado

Teddy Salgado is a master’s student at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business pursuing his MBA with concentrations in Social Entrepreneurship and Decision Sciences.  His professional interests include business strategy and development, particularly with environmentally and socially sustainable organizations. Teddy recently traveled to Nicaragua to work with a solar energy company, Tecnosol, on expansion plans. He also worked with a Durham-based community development venture fund, Talent Capital, on a business development project.  Prior to business school Teddy was the Business Analyst in Children’s Hospital Boston’s department of cardiology where he managed operations for several research studies and served as a finance committee member for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) Pediatric Heart Network. Teddy graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania where he completed a B.A. in mathematics with a music minor.

Napoleon Wallace

Napoleon Wallace is a master’s student at UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business. Napoleon has an extensive background in finance, working as a high-yield credit analyst for Wachovia Capital Markets for four years and as the commercial banking credit analyst for M&F Bancorp for two years. He has a strong interest in the intersection between entrepreneurship and sustainability, and has been engaged with HIP Investor, SJF Advisory Services, CSE Consulting and the Center for Competitive Economies during his first year of business school. Napoleon is currently one of Kenan-Flagler’s 2009 Carolina Entrepreneurial Fellows.

Green Plus is a green and sustainable small business certification and education program that gives employers affordable, practical support in succeeding financially while being good to their environment, employees and community. Green Plus gives chambers of commerce, trade associations, foundations and local governments a new way to support their small business and non-profit stakeholders.

Find out more about the Green Plus program and what it can do for your business here.

The Institute for Sustainable Development partners with chambers of commerce to offer Green Plus to their members, and licenses the program to philanthropic foundations and local government as a triple bottom line education tool for their grantees and small business constituents.

The Institute is comprised of public and private university partners, chambers of commerce, and philanthropic organizations dedicated to providing smaller employers affordable access to sustainability expertise. In 2008, the Institute’s partners received the national Business Civic Leadership Center’s  Siemens Sustainable Community Award for its effort to build a public-private coalition to advance sustainability.

If you are a chamber of commerce click here for a quick video  and information on Green Plus partnerships, or contact Chris Carmody, Director of the Sustainable Business Initiative, at ccarmody@sustainablefoundation.org.