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December 13, 2011
SPECIAL EDITION - ST.
LOUIS GREEN BUSINESS CHALLENGE AWARDS
RCGA Honors The Class of 2011!
Sixty-nine companies were recognized on
December 6th with awards for completing the RCGA's St. Louis
Green Business Challenge, the RCGA's program to help businesses
and institutions adopt more sustainable business
practices. These companies compiled a scorecard of strategies to form "green
teams", reduce waste, conserve water and energy, improve indoor
air quality and provide clean transportation options. Twelve
special Awards of Merit were presented to companies implementing
the most scorecard strategies during the Challenge year
"RCGA member companies aggressively took up
the Challenge and proved that these business strategies can
provide "green savings" by helping grow their bottom lines
through sustainable operations. This effort is one of our key
initiatives to advance a green economy for our region," said RCGA
President and CEO Dick Fleming.
In two years, 85 companies and institutions,
representing more than 100,000 employees have implemented the
Challenge strategies. 75% of the of the Challenge
Class of 2011 completed a written set of sustainability
guidelines and nearly two-thirds adopted a green purchasing
policy. In addition, 35 companies pledged to reduce their energy
consumption by 25%. Below are more facts and figures from the
Class of 2011.
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The Award Ceremony, held at the Union
Station Marriott, was attended by more than 200 representatives
from the Challenge Green Teams. Click here to view the
Awards Presentation slide
show.
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Participating in the Awards Ceremony was the staff of
Missouri Botanical Garden's EarthWays Center who serve as
Resource Advisors to the Challenge. "The Missouri
Botanical Garden is proud to be part of this Challenge for the
second year in a row," said EarthWays Center Director
Glenda Abney in her address to ceremony attendees. "This
program continues to generate extraordinary excitement in the
business community. We've observed closely how the
Challenge scorecard guided strategic implementation of internal
green practices. We congratulate all the Green Business Challenge
participants for making significant strides at helping your
companies become more efficient, resourceful, marketable and
sustainably sound."
This year the participating companies compiled a book
of accomplishments highlighting their successes in implementing
the Challenge strategies. To view the
booklet, click on the image below.
Twelve Special Awards of Merit were presented to the
companies that achieved the greatest gain the Challenge scorecard
competition by implementing the most sustainable business
practices in their respective workplaces in 2011. These
companies were: Alberici Corporation, Christner, Citi, The Doe
Run Company, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Global Products,
Inc., Graybar, KPMG, McCormack Baron Companies, SWT Design,
Tarlton Corporation and UMB Bank.
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SWT Design earned the most points on the St. Louis
Green Business Challenge scorecard. Accepting the award is Jim
Wolterman, Principal of SWT with Glenda Abney of the EarthWays
Center and Dick Fleming of the RCGA. SWT Design, reduced their
waste by 89% this year and offsets their electricity consumption
through Pure Power renewable energy credits. The firm is a
participant in the Sustainable SITES Project and features a green
roof and native plants at their Shrewsbury
location.
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Chris Laughman and Jeff Netherton of Graybar
accept the Award of Merit from Glenda Abney and Dick Fleming.
Graybar was honored with the Greatest Gain among all companies
participating in the 2011 Challenge. This year,
Graybar received certification for their employe
cafeteria as a certified green-restaurant. The company also
implemented single-stream recycling to reduce waste by 69% and
installed native landscaping around their
property.
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McCormack Baron Companies received the Greatest
Gain award for tenant companies. The firm, sponsored the Downtown
Bike Station and joined a building-wide composting program to
reduce waste in 2011. Accepting the award is William Carson of
McCormack Baron Companies.
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The Award Ceremony was hosted
by Eric Schneider, RCGA Senior Director of Energy and
Environment and Jean Ponzi, Green Resources Manager, for
the Missouri Botanical Garden's EarthWays
Center.
Enrollment for the third year of the St. Louis Green
Business Challenge will begin in January. The Challenge is open
to all RCGA member companies and organizations. To view
the Challenge scorecard and presentations from this year's
Challenge, go to www.stlouisgreenchallenge.com. or for
more information contact Eric Schneider at eschneider@stlrcga.org.
Note: All Photos by Bueltmann
Photography
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