Three Sprouting Models of Green Business Strategies

With yesterday serving as the 45^th anniversary of Earth Day, it’s important that we reflect on our responsibilities as global citizens and recognize that we are all generational stewards of this planet – which for now is the only one we’ve got. I believe it’s also a good time to recognize the leaders in our Vistage community who have been making such a difference in this area and who have proven that doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive. They are not only leaders for sustainable practices in their industries, but also modeling the way for their customers.

People like Albert Straus, President of Straus Family Creamery have been leading the way for quite some time now. He’s been an outspoken advocate for sustainable production, responsible land use and environmental stewardship. Widely acknowledged as a dairy industry innovator, in 1993 he transitioned his family’s farm to organic, becoming the first certified organic dairy west of the Mississippi. Albert’s approach to sustainability extends beyond farmland protection and organic/GMO-free production to reducing the dairy’s greenhouse gas emissions through waste handling, no-till planting and sustainable land practices. In 2004, he introduced methane digester technology to capture dairy waste and convert it into energy used to power the dairy.

David DuBois, President & CEO of Mission Landscape Services, Inc. is a second-generation CEO and owner of the business, which was founded by his father in 1970 to take advantage of booming growth in Southern California. DuBois found a way to make his landscape company more profitable and greener by recycling green waste and turning it into useful mulch that could be sold back to clients.

Andrew Clendenen, one of our Key Group members, is the LEED Certification Group Manager for Class One Solutions (C1S).  C1S is committed to providing solutions that incorporate energy efficiency, maintainability and value. All of their Sustainability Consultants are LEED Accredited Professionals. They work in concert with their Professional Engineers and Certified Energy Managers to identify project opportunities that affect the bottom line.

These are just three examples of the countless Vistage members over the years whose sense of purpose, responsibility and leadership will make our planet an even better place to live for generations to come. Let’s consider Earth Day to be an everyday mindset.

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