HS Awarded for Environmentalism

Bug receives the BEA Best Practices Award from Scott Kelley of BEA (Business Environmental Alliance)

Nova, Janis & Bug hold award with Bug on the big screen behind.

"Going green, saving green"

Group honors businesses that find ways to be kind to environment and bottom line at same time
By Nathan Halverson
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Feb. 23, 2007

Photo by Scott Manchester / Press Democrat

Michael "Bug" Deakin carries planks of wood to a customer's truck at Heritage Salvage in Petaluma. Deakin's company, which uses rescued wood for furniture and construction projects, was among 14 companies recognized for incorporating environmentalism into business practices.

Michael "Bug" Deakin is a well-connected environmentalist.
In the 1970s, he traveled around with Greenpeace co-founder Bob Hunter, and recently he retrofitted a bus for Julia "Butterfly" Hill, who lived in a tree for two years to stop loggers.

So to some, it might seem peculiar that he was sharing the stage Thursday with representatives from Christopherson Homes, Infineon Raceway and Agilent Technologies at a business event intended to help companies improve the bottom line.

But with energy, water and material costs on the rise, businesses are increasingly turning to conservation. Increasingly, companies are recognizing that environmentalism and rising profits are not mutually exclusive.

At the sixth annual Business Environmental Alliance breakfast in Rohnert Park, members of the Sonoma County business community came together to share stories on how pro-environmental practices such as water conservation, solar energy and compact fluorescent light bulbs are saving their companies tens of thousands, even millions, of dollars.
"We care most about business," said Kinley Campbell, project coordinator for the Santa Rosa-based alliance. "And it's good business."

Deakin's company, Heritage Salvage in Petaluma, was one of 14 companies recognized for mixing good business with environmentalism. His company rescues old wood headed to the landfill and re-uses it for furniture and construction projects where people want an antique look. While Deakin wore denim to the breakfast, most of the 250 people at the ceremony were dressed in suits and ties or other traditional office attire.

Steve Stapp, chief financial officer of Santa Rosa-based Redwood Credit Union, said his company is saving more than $100,000 a year in water and energy costs thanks to remodeling its corporate headquarters with conservation in mind.

As part of the redesign, the credit union installed waterless urinals and dual-flush toilets, which require users to push one of two buttons depending on what kind of waste they emit.
The crowd laughed when Stapp good-humoredly pointed out it took some retraining of the 155 employees at the credit union's headquarters. But the savings are no joke: The new toilets are part of a water conservation effort that is saving the company $60,000 a year.

A large section of grass in front of the building was also removed, and a more natural landscape that requires less water was installed in its place. "We really wanted to reduce the amount of water used on the landscaping," he said.
The building was also retrofitted to increase natural lighting. Light bulbs dim or turn off when sensors detect the sun is shining bright. Also, recycled material such as linoleum, carpeting and hardwood flooring was used throughout the building. "Our employees were very excited by that. It's improved morale," Stapp said.

Rohnert Park-based Codding Enterprises was honored in part for its 1.14 megawatt solar array that will power its Sonoma Mountain Village home development. The company is increasingly focusing on sustainable development and hired Geof Syphers about seven months ago to be its chief sustainability officer. "It's exciting to be part of a cultural shift in a company," he said.

Syphers, who worked as a renewable energy consultant prior to joining Codding, said more businesses are realizing the economic sense of going green. And once they start, they usually do not stop. "It's rare that someone dips their toe in the water and says, 'Oh, that's scary. I'm done,'" he said.

Agilent Technologies is saving about $1.5 million annually through its conservation of water and electricity, said Claire McCarthy, who works to improve efficiencies at seven of the company's U.S. offices.

"We want to get the bottom-line savings while taking care of the environment," said McCarthy, adding that Agilent has a long tradition of implementing the latest technology to reduce costs.

For small businesses or people looking for quick savings, replacing traditional light bulbs with the more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs will save about $30 a year per bulb, Campbell said.

"People have always been skeptical about mixing business with touchy-feely environmentalism," she said. "Showing people that it actually works is what has been the most successful for us."