WMSBF Celebrates Anniversary at Sold Out Triple Bottom Line Bash

West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum celebrated its 20th Anniversary with the sold-out, first annual Triple Bottom Line Bash on Thursday, September 11 at the Bissell Treehouse at John Ball Zoo.
In 1994 a small group of like-minded companies launched an initiative that would allow local companies, colleges, governments and non-profits to share knowledge and collaborate on initiatives promoting sustainable business practices within their organizations and the region.
One of the first organizations of its kind in the world, West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum has served as a support network for two generations of triple-bottom-line practitioners, playing a critical role in distinguishing West Michigan as the nation’s unofficial capital of sustainable business, helping to popularize green building, sustainable product design, beyond-compliance practices and savings-driven sustainability.
The gala included a roast of Mayor George Heartwell as the main entertainment for the night, followed by recognition of the founding members, the West Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and the naming of the First Annual Sustainable Business of the Year.
Organicycle was named Sustainable Business of the Year.  Read more about it here.
Hall of Fame Inductees included Heartwell, Fred Keller, Bill Stough, and Paul Murray.  More information on the Hall of Fame can be found here.
The roast included performances by Grand Rapids City Commissioner Ruth Kelly, Rapid Growth Media Columnist Tommy Allen, Comedian Dave Dyer, DeVos Place Assistant General Manager Eddie Tadlock, WGVU Morning Show Host Shelley Irwin, Mackinaw Power’s Rich VanderVeen and Pop Scholars’ Andy Allen. Videos of the roast can be found below.
Thank you to sponsors ADAC Automotive, Direct Trade Coffee Club, Sustainable Research Group, Busy Beas Services, Steelcase, Holiday Inn Downtown Grand Rapids, Nichols, Environmental Resources Management, MiLocalFoodBeet, Consumers Energy, Amway, Local First, The CarbonNeutral Company, Aquinas College, Intertek, Cascade Engineering, Haworth, Integrated Architecture and Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber.
The program for the event, which includes the 2014 membership directory, can be downloaded here.
The Second Annual Triple Bottom Line Bash is tentatively scheduled for November 5, 2015.