Green Plus Sustainable Enterprise off the Year
Cargas and Wohlsen Construction Company won national awards for the example they set as sustainable smaller enterprises. The Institute for Sustainable Development announced the winners of the Green Plus North American Sustainable Enterprise Awards at a ceremony in the Silver LEED Certified North Carolina Research Triangle Park headquarters.
Cargas won the top award given by the Institute – The Research Triangle Park Foundation Green Plus Sustainable Enterprise of the Year – while Wohlsen Construction Company won in its category – Green Plus Medium-Sized Business of 2010.
“We especially appreciate this award because it takes a such a broad view of sustainability,” said Chip Cargas, CEO of Cargas Systems Inc. “To our way of thinking, our employee-owned, sustainable growth, built-to-last business model and our concern for our planet are all driven by our company purpose of Shared Success,” Cargas continued. “This award inspires us to do even more to share our approach with others,” concluded Cargas.
“We are pleased that the Green Plus Institute for Sustainable Development is providing an opportunity for like-minded businesses to share best practices in developing and maintaining a culture of sustainability as it relates to our people, our planet, and our performance,” said Gary Langmuir, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wohlsen Construction Company.
Green Plus is a program of the North Carolina-based Institute for Sustainable Development – a non-profit partnership of universities and business to help smaller enterprises and their communities understand and utilize triple bottom line sustainability. Through Green Plus, the Institute works with chambers of commerce in eleven states to affordably assist smaller enterprises in learning about what is often called the Triple Bottom Line – People, Planet, and Performance. Green Plus provides online and university-based education, access to a business-to-business network, and recognition in the form of Green Plus Certification for those companies that are exceptional in their commitment to sustainability.
The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and Industry was one of the first chambers to develop a Green Plus Partnership with the Institute.
“Cargas Systems and Wohlsen Construction exemplify the Green Plus philosophy that good environmental practices are only a third of the formula in running a sustainable business,” said Chris Carmody, Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. “Truly sustainable enterprises are green, running a great business, and contributing to the health and economic well-being of their surrounding communities,” Carmody continued. “It’s particularly fitting that Cargas and Wohlsen are working together to build a green building that will bring Cargas’ high quality jobs to Lancaster Stockyards,” Carmody concluded.
The Green Plus North American Sustainable Enterprise Awards recognize one non-profit and three businesses according to size, as well as one enterprise of any type as best of class. Other Green Plus Sustainable Enterprise Award winners include
- Brick Street Bontanical, an Arkansas florist – the Green Plus Sustainable Sole Proprietor of the Year
- The Chapel Hill-Carroboro City Schools in the Green Plus Sustainable Non-Profit category
- The King’s Daughters Inn, a Durham, North Carolina based bed and breakfast
- Riley Life Industries, a Durham-based order fulfillment company
- And The Taylor Companies, an Ohio-based furniture manufacturer
The Institute also recognized three chambers of commerce (Greater Syracuse, NY, the Greater Cleveland Partnership / Council of Smaller Enterprises, and the St. Louis Chamber) for their efforts to create more sustainable regional economies, aid their small business members, and educate other chambers on sustainability.
For more information on the Green Plus North American Sustainable Enterprise Awards or the Institute for Sustainable Development, please see www.gogreenplus.org.
