“Our focus has never changed over the past two years,” said Carlos. “Some consider us advertisers. However we are truly in the business of information. What has really changed is that as time has gone by, we have grown, collecting information and resources.”
The website, which receives approximately 6,000 hits per month is identified as a green database website —informational and educational portal, media source and a directory all wrapped into one easily-located, user-friendly and attractive website.
“We have created the ‘Big Green Umbrella’ of information for one of the largest industrial regions of the world,” said Carlos.
The website highlights companies that can provide green products and services (manufacturing, industrial, commercial and residential) ensuring global competitiveness; renewable energies; sustainability; industry standards of reduction of consumption; and the health side of greening.GreeningDetroit.comrepresents the entire Detroit Metro geographic region.
“During these two years, companies and the community have come together in sharing vital important resources of information … And this is why we’re starting to get to be known for our left hand knowing what our right hand is doing,” said Carlos.
The website is embedded in several areas of government websites. It is an outreach for local, state and federal government and numerous industries’ associations and nonprofits. Carlos and his staff provide the community with press releases and information about grants and tax incentives. The site’s special reports consist of how government is assisting industries and manufacturing, creating jobs and incomes. Additional areas of interest that are highlighted are regional “green” news from media partners; local stories created in house; schools/universities/state certified training centers; lifestyles; and special green events that take place throughout local communities.
GreeningDetroit.com is linked on Oakland County’s website and can be seen throughout the OakGreen website (www.oakgov.com/oakgreen/).
GreeningDetroit.com has nearly 100 companies represented and one third of those companies are based in Oakland County. They include Leonard Capital, Worry Free Landscaping, West Bloomfield Henry Ford Hospital and Newman Consulting Group.
“We are proud to have fostered all of our relationships, as each is unique from the others. We have concentrated on our relationships with the leaders of past green movements, 80-plus nonprofits. From there, our relationships expanded to government agencies and institutes and on the way we picked up 80 to 100 companies,” said Carlos.
Vendors pay to be listed in the website’s directory, which recognizes them as a “green” leader in their industry. They are also highlighted as experts and get a chance to teach, not just sell. The staff at GreeningDetroit.com also sends out press releases for them.
Greeningetroit.com has assisted Oakland Schools in education, emphasizing the green technology industry. GreeningDetroit.com coordinated the donation of a wind turbine to Birmingham Covington School in Bloomfield Township. Now Covington students are learning the science behind one of the emerging sectors — alternative energy. Carlos brought together nine organizations and dozens of volunteers to build the wind turbine.
Carlos has also gathered other donations for education, including Uni-Solar portable solar panels for students as young as third grade to experiment with solar energy and batteries from Batteries Plus Corp., so that students could learn about energy storage.
GreeningDetroit.com jointly participates with its vendors to award local schools the “Green City Award” through the Engineering Society of Detroit’s Future City competition. It has joined in donations of Door To Door Organics food and Maxi Containers compost units and rain barrels.
It has served the community as media sponsors for over 120 to 130 different “green-related events,” Carlos said.
The company surprised many by winning Corp! Magazine’s “Michigan Going Green Award” just before its first-year anniversary.
Source: The Oakland Press