RCGA Salutes St. Louis Companies for Successfully Completing 2011 St. Louis “Green Business Challenge”

December 6, 2011

For more information, contact
Gary Broome at (314) 444-1171
Eric Schneider (314) 444-1148

For Immediate Release:

RCGA Salutes St. Louis Companies for Successfully Completing
2011 St. Louis "Green Business Challenge"

69 company "Green Teams" advance sustainable practices in region's business community

The St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA), in conjunction with the Missouri Botanical Gardens Earthways Center, presented awards this morning to area businesses, institutions and organizations for successfully completing the second year of the RCGA's St. Louis Green Business Challenge. Awards were given to 69 companies across the St. Louis metropolitan region that successfully completed the Challenge, with Special Awards of Merit going to 12 of these.

The Green Business Challenge is one of the projects of the St. Louis Climate Prosperity Project, in which St. Louis is one of four National Pilots, along with Denver, Portland, and Silicon Valley, CA.

In the two years of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, 85 companies have participated, impacting more than 100,000 employees across the region.

These 69 participants compiled a scorecard of requirements to form "green" teams, reduce waste, conserve water and energy, improve indoor air quality, and provide clean transportation options. 75% of these teams completed a written set of sustainability guidelines and nearly two-thirds adopted a green purchasing policy during the Challenge term. In addition, 35 companies pledged to reduce their energy consumption by 25%.

Twelve Special Awards of Merit were presented to the companies that achieved the greatest gains in the Challenge scorecard competition by implementing the most sustainable business practices at their respective workplaces during 2011. They are: Alberici Corp.; Christner; Citi; The Doe Run Co.; Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Global Products, Inc.; Graybar Electric Co.; KPMG; McCormack Baron Cos.; SWT Design; Tarlton Corp.; and UMB Bank.

Graybar, the Clayton-based, supply chain management services company, won the Challenge in the Owner Category and McCormack Baron Cos. of St. Louis, developer of urban neighborhoods across the country, won the Tenant Category of the Challenge. SWT Design, a planning and landscape design firm in Shrewsbury, was recognized for earning the highest point total on the St. Louis Green Business Challenge scorecard.

"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 practices. This effort is one of our key initiatives to advance a green economy for our region," said RCGA President and CEO Dick Fleming.

RCGA engaged the Missouri Botanical Garden's EarthWays Center to serve as Resource Advisor to each of the Green Business Challenge participants. The EarthWays staff organized informative seminars and performed site visits to help company Green Teams implement measures defined by the Challenge scorecard.

"This program generated extraordinary excitement in the business community, as the Challenge scorecard guided strategic implementation of internal green practices," noted EarthWays Center Director Glenda Abney. "Through involvement in the Challenge, a significant number of our region's businesses have expanded their ‘sustainability literacy' and adopted policies to inform their ongoing work with these options."

"These businesses have found that embracing sustainability can be efficiently integrated into daily business practices," she added. "The work accomplished by RCGA and the 2011 Challenge companies proves how ‘green thinking' can help achieve company mission, budgetary, marketing and community impact goals. The Missouri Botanical Garden is proud to be part of this Challenge."

Case Studies illustrating the wide range of achievements during this year's Challenge can be reviewed at www.stlouisgreenchallenge.com.

Enrollment for the third year of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge will begin next month. The Challenge is open to RCGA member companies and organizations. For more information, please contact RCGA Senior Director for Energy & Environment Eric Schneider at eschneider@stlrcga.org or visit www.stlouisgreenchallenge.com.

Click here for a listing of the award recipients.

About the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA)
The RCGA is the chamber of commerce and economic development organization for the 16-county, bi-state region. The mission of the RCGA is to unite the region's business community, and to engage dynamic business and civic leadership to develop and sustain a world-class economy and community.

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