Utah Business Magazine - Green Getting Better, But Can Go Further

by Dianne Lewis

Being environmentally responsible is easier than ever and is critical to maintaining a healthy future: those were the overarching messages at Utah Business magazine’s 2011 Green Business Awards.

Being green used to be unusual and something that people looked at with skepticism, said Rob Adams, REDCO director of property development. Now green is normal and something people want to get more involved in. REDCO won the overall Green Business award.

That acceptance is a good sign, but it’s not enough, said Forest McNabb, Big-D Construction senior vice president. McNabb borrowed a saying from the civil rights movement and adapted it to green practices.

“The day we’ve stopped talking about ‘green,’ we’ve succeeded. The goal as we move forward is to stop talking about green and live it,” he said.

McNabb emphasized that doing business and living responsibly is about the future and what type of world is left to coming generations.

DwellTek Principal Brad Peacock said the problem for many people is they want to contribute but don’t know how to or are put off by the cost of switching to green practices or products. It’s the job of those who are already working on sustainability to make a bigger difference by engaging those who aren’t yet and helping them find ways to be green, he said.

That was how inthinc Technology Solutions got started, said Cory Catten, chief technology officer. The company makes vehicle systems that reduce idle time, speeding and aggressive driving. The system originally began as a way to decrease crashes, Catten said, but the company realized it had the benefit of reducing fuel consumption as well. Now it works both angles, using its strengths to promote energy efficiency.

Utah Business congratulates the Green Business award winners, who are leading the way in the community to make sustainability the standard rather than the exception.

Complete list of honorees

Community Initiatives
Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District
Salt Lake City Corporation – Recycling Program

Workplace Initiatives
Utah Orthopaedics
CBRE

Education Initiatives
Salt Lake Community College – Green Academy
Westminster College Meldrum Science Center

Corporate Achievement

Residential Construction
Mountain Vista Homes
DwellTek, LLC

Commercial Construction
GSBS Architects
Creative Times, Inc. (dba CTI Construction)

Transportation
inthinc Technology Solutions
Washakie Renewable Energy

Technological Innovation
Enerlyte
Packsize International, LLC

Product
UV Pro Floors
Kaddas Enterprises, Inc.

Overall
REDCO
(11.18.11)

http://www.utahbusiness.com/issues/articles/11750/2011/11/green_getting_better__but_can_go_further