Be kind to the environment is more than a mantra. Increasingly, companies are looking for ways not only to save money through energy initiatives but also by recognizing that their customers (and their shareholders) are raising the bar when it comes to environmental issues.
And those firms that do a good job of minimizing their footprint are quite often bumped up to the top of the list as a supplier of choice.
A good example of the organizations 101 Best and Brightest Companies has centered out for being exemplary in its efforts to embrace sustainability is 3S International, a recycling company with a proprietary system that is one of the first in the nation to make it easy to properly dispose of LCD displays as well as computers, phones and handheld devices.
Another good example of helping others be green is Allied PhotoChemical, which employs its ultraviolet technology to help companies that would otherwise use toxic coatings. The fact that the company exports much of its business is a bonus as far as its management is concerned.
When you divert some 90 percent of your waste from a landfill, as is the case with brewing company Barfly Ventures, that’s a very good thing as well. Barfly’s Grand Rapids Brewing Co. is Michigan’s first USDA-certified organic brewery, designed from the ground up with reducing environmental impact in mind.
The hospitality business is also becoming more sustainable if City Flats Hotel is any indication. Its property earned LEED Gold Certification for its innovative design that takes the environment into account.
In the financial world, Consumers Credit Union is also building a culture where sustainability is introduced to new employees, who are encouraged to do their part to reduce the consumption of resources like paper and electricity.
Herman Miller, well known for being a world-class designer and manufacturer of office furniture, is staying true to the desire of founder D.J. De Pree whose desire was to be “a good corporate neighbor by being a good steward of the environment.”
That’s also the case at Nichols Paper and Supply, where the company tracks and measures its performance when it comes to sustainability issues.
The businesses and organizations recognized as 101 Best and Brightest Sustainable Companies were honored Sept. 16 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Have we done everything we can? Of course not.
But as we continue to raise the bar when it comes to being sustainable in all we do, the future is looking brighter than ever.
3S International
Acoustics by Design
A-Line Staffing Solutions
Allied PhotoChemical Inc.
BarFly Ventures
Beaumont Health System
Bodman PLC
Bronson Health
Cascade Engineering
CityFlats Hotel
Clark Retirement Community
C-Net Systems Inc.
Compuware Corp.
Consumers Credit Union
CSI Support & Development
Direct Trade Coffee Club
Dynamic Edge Inc.
Educational Data Systems Inc.
Ghafari Associates LLC
Greenfundraiserstore.com
GreeningDetroit.com
Halpin Solutions
Herman Miller
Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown
Humantech Inc.
Integrated Architecture
JW Marriott Grand Rapids
Legal Copy Services Inc.
Lowry Solutions
Metro Health
Midwest SMART Expo
NeXt I.T.
Nichols Paper and Supply
Nucraft Furniture
Organicycle
Parjana Distribution
Peckham Inc.
Priority Health
Ranir LLC
RNS Packaging Corp.
Rockford Construction
Schupan Recycling
Seco Tools LLC
Siemens Industry Building Technologies
Spectrum Health Hospital Group
Steelcase
Studio 5 Inc.
Sunblossom Solar Gifts LLC
Synbella
Triangle Associates Inc.
Walbridge
Webasto Roof Systems Inc.
Source: Corp! Magazine
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