“Green Up and Stay in the Black:” The April 2010 COSE Update  profiles Certified Green Plus Taylor Companies and the Green Plus program itself.

(January 6, 2010) Public Radio reporter Dan Bobkoff talks in depth with CEO Jeff Baldassari about how Taylor Companies has reduced its costs by $20,000 through waste reduction and $80,000 through energy conservation efforts.

Taylor Companies was the first company in Ohio to become Certified Green Plus. In 2004, Taylor Companies, the oldest US manufacturing company, also set out to clean up a brownfield in Bedford, Ohio.  Brownfields are areas of land previously used for industrial or commercials purposes which have been contaminated by pollutants, chemicals, or hazardous materials.

After spending nearly 6 million dollars on the clean up, Taylor Companies has a new facility and has made an environmental, social, and economic difference in Northeast Ohio.

Click here to see CEO Jeff Baldasarri’s Zero Waste Northeast Ohio Page. Read (or listen) to ideastream®’s Dan Bobkoff indepth news report of the story: http://www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/28792 .

“The sustainability movement started gaining traction in the United States at the beginning of this decade. Businesses are now recognizing that sustainable value is not only transforming their respective business models but they are now enjoying the fruits of the triple bottom benefits that sustainability yields. The Taylor Companies, the Bedford-based manufacturer of office seating and casegoods, has fully embraced this movement. Taylor has successfully integrated sustainability into its corporate culture which has transformed its identity within the community and its industry,” writes Jeff Baldassari of the Taylor Companies.

Click here to read the full article (starts on page 3) in North Coast Sustainability December Newsletter.

(North Carolina Research Triangle) Thirty-one businesses in the Green Plus^TM program were recognized by the Institute for Sustainable Development for their exceptional efforts toward triple bottom line sustainability. Seven businesses received full Green Plus^TM certification, and twenty-five were recognized as Green Plus^TM Movers – businesses that have completed the first major step in the Institute’s sustainable small business certification process. Businesses receiving full Green Plus^TM certification included Brick Street Botanical (AR), Business Class Inc, (NC), Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau (NC), Laser Plus (PA), PTA Thrift Shop (PA), The Taylor Companies (OH) and Warfel Construction Company (PA).

The Cary, North Carolina office of the oldest continuously operating university press in the world, University Oxford Press, became the first organization of its kind to complete the first step of the Green Plus^TM program.  Plymouth Church United Church of Christ in Cleveland, Ohio, is the first religious institution to be recognized by the Institute’s Green Plus^TM program as a Green Plus^TM Mover. Other Green Plus^TM Movers include Accentuate Staffing, Appraisals Online, Inc., Beyu Caffe, Cargas Systems, Cottman Transmission of Garner, NC, jke marketing and communications, the King’s Daughters Inn, Licata & Toerek, Moran IT, My Eco Lamp, Northgate Associates, Quality Sprinkling Systems, Pam Herndon – State Farm, Stitt Energy Systems, Inc, Town Planner Community Calendar, True Edge Performance Solutions, Urban Durham Realty, Watts Grocery, Weaver Street Realty, Wenger Feed Mill, Inc, and William H. Bunch, PA, CPA.  (Please see www.gogreenplus.org for more information on these businesses).

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^TM 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, since then it has been launched in Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Green Plus^TM is designed to provide small and medium sized employers with affordable educational tools and university assistance to strengthen their triple bottom line, access to a network of peer businesses tackling similar issues while sharing best practices, and brand support in the form of certification for those organizations with exceptional sustainability performance.  “Green Plus^TM is not simply about taking steps to be green in the way that we all are aware we should; it is about how making careful, sustainable decisions affects every aspect of your business life: the people you work with, the success of your organization, and, ultimately, the planet we all share,” said Mary Renner, president of Laser Plus, Pennsylvania’s first Certified Green Plus^TM business. “Green Plus^TM is not for wimps; it is a challenging, carefully considered assessment that will force you to look carefully at the reality of your daily practices. We chose to step up with the certainty that by accepting the Green Plus^TM challenge, Laser Plus has a deliberate and carefully defined vision of who we are, where we want to go, and how we will get there.”

“We are happy to be working with this new class of Certified Green Plus business and Green Plus Movers,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. “Each of these businesses sets a great example and has something to teach other small businesses throughout North America,” Carmody concluded.

Warfel Construction Company’s leadership by example enabled the company to achieve full certification.  Since moving their headquarters to new space in an existing building, Warfel is applying for Silver level LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).  Warfel’s owners renovated their new office and used flooring made from recycled or rapidly renewable materials, built side windows and sun tubes to allow natural light into the buildings, extended the foyer before the lobby entrance to reduce the hot/cold air exchange from outside, and completed other modifications using recycled materials and to reduce energy and water consumption.

“We are honored to be the first Pennsylvania contractor to receive this distinction,” said Ralph Simpson, President/CEO of Warfel.  “I was intrigued that [this program] focused on many elements of business in addition to sustainability and green business practices.  Warfel Construction Company has always operated with the Green Plus principles of taking care of the environment, our employees, and the community while maintaining a financially successful business.  We have modeled our company this way for nearly 100 years, and the Green Plus Certification is a great way to enter our second century of business!”

Brick Street Botanical also made reusing recycled materials a top priority when it renovated an existing building to use as its new shop.  Owner Holly Mang also purchases all flowers and plant materials locally from organic growers.  Mang encourages customers to return their vases and flower container so they can be reused; this not only fosters reuse, it saves Brick Street Botanicals from having to purchase new containers which helps the bottom line as well.  “I have found the Green Plus program to be a fantastic business tool. As a new business owner I was pleased to find out I was already running my business in a “green” way. I am looking forward to using this tool to grow my business in an environmentally friendly way,” declared Mang.

Adhering to the central principles of sustainability is also just the way of doing business for PTA Thrift Shop in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC.  “I had long ago realized that “sustainability” and the three components which comprise it (people, planet, performance) were so core to our organization, just by our nature and our mission,” said Barbara Jessie-Black, executive director.  “However, having a tool complete with measurement and education components, as well as a best practice component, has helped us (and continues to) be more intentional about how we practice sustainability on a daily basis and the contribution we make to the community we serve.”

Getting your entire staff to participate and share ideas is one of the key ways to institutionalize the ideas around sustainability, but it can be quite a challenge.  Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau (DCVB) encourages its staff to participate by alternating leadership of staff meetings and encouraging suggestions from everyone.  “DCVB has always been conscious about sustainability issues, but going through the Green Plus^TM certification program helped us document all of our efforts around sustainability and green initiatives into a single place that could be shared with others,” said Shelly Green, President and CEO-Elect of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.  “We are particularly excited about sharing ideas with Durham-based organizations and businesses that provide services to travelers since sustainability is an important piece in marketing a destination.”

Business Class, Inc. uses the tools and ideas found throughout the program as a way to share best practices with their clients.  “The [Green Plus^TM] program has provided additional structure for efforts at continued improvement.   It’s been a fun focus area for our interns as they search for best practices, bring them in for discussion;  write about them in the new “Good & Green” category of our website; and consider how they might apply the ideas within their own campus community,” said Jan Bolick, president of Business Class, Inc.

New Certified Green Plus Businesses

Brick Street Botanicals

This growing flower shop services northwest Arkansas and is located in Rogers, AR.  Owner Holly Mang is dedicated to providing her customers with striking, usually organic, products and designs that focus on the inherent natural beauty of flowers and plants through texture and design.

From using recycled and renewable materials to revitalize an existing space in downtown Rogers to encouraging clients to return vases so they might be used again, Brick Street Botanical is focused on the triple bottom line and is using those principles to grow.

Business Class

Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Business Class provides resources for managers, business owners, and teams who want to boost productivity and morale.  By helping clients achieve better results through improved skills and attitudes, Business Class has helped organizations large and small improve their productivity.

“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.

Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau (DCVB)

The Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau has been Durham’s marketing agency for over 20 years.  During the first 15 years, DCVB more than doubled the number of visitors who came to Durham and it continues to market the city of Durham, educated visitors as to the plethora of recreational, entertainment, and dining options, and maintain Durham’s brand.

More than 15 years ago, DCVB started initiatives to recycle and use soy ink.  In 2007, they conducted an energy audit that lead to a new HVAC system complete with zoning, computer controls, and automatic sensor lights which has increased the quality of life in the building and significantly reduced energy bills.  They’ve also installed a cistern to collect rain water and use that to irrigate the grounds.  DCVB is also committed to engaging and inspiring the 3,000 hotels and restaurants in the area and identifying those who’ve made efforts to go green in the Durham Visitors Guide.

Laser Plus

As the first Pennsylvania business to receive Green Plus certification, Laser Plus has offered quality print supplies and reliable customer service for printing equipment and office machines since 1986. Committed to going green in the printing industry before most individuals have even heard of sustainability, Laser Plus has championed the ideals of a profitable, cost effective business with fervor for environmental integrity.

One way in which Laser Plus has become an innovative sustainable business is through development of their Solid Waste Savings Report program. The Solid Waste Savings Report is used by Laser Plus customers to demonstrate savings in operating costs and reductions in solid waste. 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. By providing high-quality, environmentally friendly printing solutions that encourage recycling and smarter printing practices, Laser Plus have aimed to perform well in the profit margin while treating their employees well and maintaining environmental integrity.

Warfel Construction Company

Started in 1911, Warfel Construction Company has grown into one of the most successful and respected contractors in south-central Pennsylvania.  They’ve survived and thrived because of commitment to honesty, integrity and fairness, what their founder, David S. Warfel, called it practical business sense.

Warfel has been building “Green” for years, long before “sustainable design” and “LEED” were buzzwords in its industry. Whether the clients are hoping incorporate sustainable elements in their project’s design or planning on receiving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification, Warfel has a team of experts ready to offer valuable insight and direction on how to proceed.  They are constantly innovating and testing new designs and ideas.  Their clients benefit by getting the most cost effective, efficient facility possible without sacrificing important budget and schedule objectives.

PTA Thrift Shop

The PTA Thrift Shop has been in operation since 1952. Serving for the benefit of Parent Teacher Associations in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, the PTA Thrift Shop gives all year-end profits back to Chapel Hill and Carrboro schools. Funding from the thrift shop helps pay for teaching materials, playground equipment, cultural arts programs, computers, school wide events, and a host of other programs for middle and high school students.

With the help of volunteers, the PTA Thrift Shop has managed to donate more than $40,000 per year to the Interfaith Council each year, as well as numerous food and personal items which cannot be sold by them. By focusing on all three aspects of the triple bottom line, the PTA Thrift Shop also encourages their employees to volunteer in the community. They also work to find new ways to create revenue out of unsellable items and are devoted to expanding their water and energy conservation plans. As a community organization, the PTA Thrift Shop is committed to enhancement and innovation of their business in the most sustainable way possible.

New Green Plus Movers

• Accentuate Staffing
• Appraisals Online, Inc
• Beyu Caffe
• Cargas Systems
• Cottman Transmission of Garner
• Jke marketing and communications, Inc
• The King’s Daughters Inn
• Licata & Toerek
• Moran IT
• My Eco Lamp
• Northgate Associates
• Oxford University Press in Cary
• Plymouth Church United Church of Christ
• Quality Sprinking Systems
• Pam Herndon, State Farm
• Stitt Energy Systems, Inc
• Town Planner Community Calendar
• True Edge Performance Solutions
• Urban Durham Realty
• Watts Grocery
• Weaver Street Realty
• Wenger Feed Mills, Inc
• William H. Bunch, PA, CPA

Cleveland, October 14, 2009 — One of the largest American chambers of commerce, the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE), has become the first business association to offer the Green Plus™ sustainability education and certification program to Ohio’s smaller enterprises.

Green Plus™ is a three-part program to help smaller enterprises improve their performance through becoming more sustainable. In the first stage, employers take an online assessment which evaluates their management, environmental, employee and community engagement practices. In the second stage, participants become part of an online network and can receive advice from other business owners and university-based content experts on how to improve their sustainability performance. Employers with exceptional scores across the Green Plus™ assessment’s People, Planet and Performance sections may be Certified Green Plus™, recognizing their specific efforts and providing exposure to their current and potential customers and business partners in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“COSE’s endorsement and support of the Green Plus™ process, is focused on helping small businesses take the first steps to greater profitability through sustainability,” said Steve Millard, President and Executive Director of COSE.

Green Plus™ has been adopted as the official small and medium sized enterprise sustainability program of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). The program is available at a substantial discount through participating chambers of commerce throughout the U.S. and Canada in the 1,300 chamber ACCE network. The program costs $550, but will be available to COSE members with five or more employees for $350 and to COSE companies with four or fewer employees for $75.

“There are many great home-grown sustainability efforts already going on in our region,” said Millard. “Green Plus™ gives our members the opportunity to both learn new practices and share their own knowledge across North America – while also opening up new business opportunities,” he added.

For more than ten years, COSE has been a provider of electricity and natural gas savings options to small and mid-sized businesses, helping them to save money and becoming a stronger partner for small business energy management efforts.

Additionally, COSE has been designated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as the small business energy efficiency administrator for the First Energy Service territories.  In this role, COSE is working to find efficient and effective ways to improve and lower the energy demand of small businesses, resulting in additional profitability for small firms.

Green Plus™ was developed by the North Carolina Research Triangle based Institute for Sustainable Development — a combined effort of universities and chambers of commerce to provide smaller employers with affordable tools to improve their triple bottom line sustainability. The Green Plus™ model was developed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business in 2007. UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University developed online sustainability tools for small business that were tested in Ohio and North Carolina throughout 2008. COSE was the Institute for Sustainable Development’s partner in beta testing the Green Plus™ program with Ohio businesses.

“Smaller enterprises employ most North Americans and are the key engine of new job creation,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. “Large employers have benefited greatly from their sustainability efforts. Green Plus™ was created to give small employers the same opportunities to save and make money while going green and being sustainable,” Carmody continued. “COSE’s ongoing advocacy and innovative programs for smaller employers makes it the ideal Green Plus™ partner,” Carmody concluded.

Green Plus™ is not a product-specific certification program, but a broad small business sustainability certification. Employers currently participating comprise professional firms, restaurants, hotels, landscapers, printers, designers, small manufacturers and others. Green Plus™ is also designed to help non-profit organizations that want to improve their sustainability.

COSE member, The Taylor Companies was recently recognized as the first Ohio Certified Green Plus™ business on September 28, 2009 for its exceptional practices business, environmental and community practices. More on Taylor Chair’s certification can be found at www.gogreenplus.org. Other COSE members are beginning to participate in this program from the legal, landscaping and non-profit sectors.

For more information on Green Plus™, please see www.gogreenplus.org.

About COSE

COSE is one of Ohio’s largest small business support organizations, striving to help small businesses grow and maintain their independence. Comprised of more than 17,000 member companies, COSE has a long history of fighting for the rights of all small business owners through group purchasing programs for health care, workers’ compensation, or energy; advocating for specific changes in legislation or regulation to benefit small business; and, providing a forum and resource for small businesses to connect with and learn from each other. (www.cose.org)

The Taylor Companies, founded in 1816 and believed to be the oldest furniture manufacturer in the United States, became the first Ohio company to be Certified Green Plus™ by the Institute for Sustainable Development. The firm was recently featured in Business Week article “When Going Green Isn’t About Marketing” for its efforts to approach zero waste in its manufacturing operations.

“Taylor Companies demonstrates that the concepts of sustainability and long-term competitiveness are becoming one and the same,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. “Taylor Companies provides a great example for any small business of how efficient management coupled with sustainable environmental and community practices improve both a company’s bottom line and the world around it,” Carmody concluded.

Green Plus™ is a small business sustainability education and certification program developed by the North Carolina Research Triangle based Institute for Sustainable Development. Green Plus™ has been adopted as the official small and medium sized enterprise sustainability program of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). The program is available at a substantial discount through participating chambers of commerce throughout the U.S. and Canada in the 1,300 chamber ACCE network. Beginning October 1, Green Plus will be available to Ohio companies at a discount through the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE).

“One of the fundamental values of Green Plus is its ability to both help assess sustainability efforts and connect small business owners to the education and resources they need to take the next step in sustainability,” said Steve Millard, President and Executive Director of COSE. “Jeff is a tremendous example of someone who understands the value of sustainability to both the community and his own bottom line—what he has accomplished at Taylor is really impressive.”

Taylor CEO Jeff Baldasari said, “We believe that Green Plus™ adds value to our Company in three areas. First it has opened our eyes to new sustainable practices that we had not previously considered. Second, it has motivated our company to achieve additional sustainable practices that we are not currently employing.  Finally, Green Plus™ lends an objective standard to the field of sustainability and by doing so, credible practices are recognized and green washing is not accepted,” Baldasari concluded.

In 2005, the Taylor Companies invested $6 million in revitalizing a 50 acre industrial brown field that had been abandoned since 1987. The firm consolidated its operations in a new, efficient building that saves it $80,000 in annual energy costs. Taylor has reduced its collective consumption of natural gas, electricity and water by 58.8% since consolidating its operations.

In its operations, the Taylor Companies has reduced its waste by 90% through recycling, upcycling and composting.  For example, Taylor captures 76,000 pounds of sawdust a year for farmers. Its annual net waste hauling costs are less than $1,000. Taylor Companies aggressively documents both its cost reductions and environmental impact as continually looks for efficiencies that will both save money and have a positive environmental and community impact. The company

• streamlined its inbound shipping of some raw materials to reduce costs by $6,000 annually
• upcycles 2 ½ tons of leather scraps to purse manufacturers, saving $5,000 in annual hauling costs
• saves $4,000 in hauling costs per year by donating 76,000 pounds of saw dust to area farms
• redirects a large portion of wood scrap back into production: unusable wood scrap is used for thermo energy and upcycled into consumer products saving $6,000 in annual hauling costs

Taylor scored very high on the People section of the Green Plus Certification as well. Internally, the company provides good wages, health, disability, pension, 401k benefits and 2 – 5 weeks vacation for its employees for its workforce and engages them actively in the success of the company and in sustainability efforts.  Externally, the company is an active charitable contributor to its local school system.

“At Taylor, we have learned that sustainable practices are a business opportunity,” said Jeff Baldasari. “By embracing and implementing them, we have made a measurable difference for our community, the quality of life and working conditions for our employees and the operating performance of our company through significant cost savings,” Baldasari concluded.

Watch a video on The Taylor Companies’ experience with Green Plus™.  More information on Green Plus can be found at www.gogreenplus.org.