A long-time participant in sustainable business in West Michigan and beyond, Paul Murray, Vice President of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs at Shaw Industries, has seen the ideas of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum develop and spread to communities across the nation—an impact that the original members of the forum may not have seen coming […]
Throughout the 20th century, building collaboration between business and the sustainability movement has been a challenge. Governmental regulations and activism were often seen as a threat to manufacturers’ bottom line, and early environmentalists conflicted with the corporate world. However, in West Michigan, a common connection between the community and business leaders has been a unique […]
When Tom Newhouse of Thomas J. Newhouse -Design began his career in industrial design in the 1970’s, sustainable features were not easy to market to customers. While industrial design leaders such as Herman Miller and Steelcase had been operating their businesses with a sense of environmental and social stewardship from their beginnings, their practices were […]
Before he became involved with sustainability efforts, Mark LaCroix considered himself a run-of-the-mill sales guy at Interface Fabrics. However, when Ray Anderson, founder and CEO of Interface, discovered the concepts of sustainable business, it set LaCroix and Interface on a different path. As a member of the Interface Sustainability Council that engaged with notable experts […]
When Sustainable Research Group‘s Bill Stough and his West Michigan colleagues began collaborating to form the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, the concept of sustainable business was still hazy. As a member of the WMEAC board and former chair of the environmental committee at the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Stough had seen the business community and […]
When Tom Fehsenfeld of Crystal Flash Energy became involved with what would become the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, there was more to it than his passion for environmental concerns—it just made good business sense. At Crystal Flash, new environmental regulations had required the removal of aging underground fuel storage tanks, which revealed contamination problems that Fehsenfeld […]
For West Michigan residents and businesses, water is important—not only for sustaining life, but to the economy and the region’s identity as well. Attendees at the July WMSBF luncheon meeting had the opportunity to hear Jon Allan of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Travis Williams, Executive Director of the Outdoor Discovery Center […]
Attendees at the June monthly luncheon meeting, presented by Warner, Norcross and Judd, had the opportunity to hear about sustainability issues and solutions from two quite different perspectives last week. Held at the University Club on June 23, featured speakers at the meeting included Ford Motor Co. Global Director Of Sustainability John Viera, who […]
Presentations for Viewing and Download: Travis Gibbs: Sustainable Packaging Dave Auperlee: Retailer Sustainability Initiatives and Sustainability Scorecards Elsie Palabrica: Materiality Assessments Attendees at the May WMSBF Monthly Meeting were treated to a diverse discussion that covered a variety of topics, from sustainable packaging efforts to GRI materiality assessments. Held at Perrigo in Allegan, the afternoon program […]
WMSBF monthly meetings often foster spirited conversation between member representatives. The April Monthly Meeting and Future Green Leaders Competition, however, put table talk at the forefront of the meeting with a sustainability charrette focused on enhancing ArtPrize‘s sustainability efforts. Sponsored by Odom Re-Use Co, the CarbonNeutral Company, and Busy Bea’s Services, Inc, the luncheon charrette focused […]