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Eagle Creek Growers Wins Award
September 28th, 2009
Eagle Creek Leads the Green Movement with the Emerald Award Win
The Crain's Cleveland Business Emerald Awards recognize Northeast Ohio companies that have implemented sustainable strategic priorities that significantly trim costs or increase cash flow with innovations and products that reduce its environmental footprint. For 2009, Eagle Creek Growers was named as a finalist for for-profit companies with revenue 9.9 million and below.
Eagle Creek Garden Center hopes to become nearly fossil-fuel independent by 2011 and to employ a 100% local work force. Eagle Creek strives to use biodegradable and environmentally safe products and to recycle 100% of polymer and corrugated waste. It also aims to be a vehicle for customers to recycle by using Eagle Creek's distribution network.
Profits Double-layered, energy-retentive greenhouse curtains have improved heating efficiency by 65%; a “biomass heating system” has reduced heating costs by nearly $55,000 per acre of greenhouse; and a 50-kilowatt wind turbine saves the company between $7,000 and $10,000 annually.
People A sustainable business model is changing the company's culture. A local work force supports the area's economy, and Eagle Creek is limiting its effects on the local environment by using biodegradable materials.
Planet Eagle Creek's recycling program has allowed it to reduce the amount of raw materials it buys. A sanitation system makes it possible to recycle 100% of onsite water. Also, efforts to reduce reliance on electricity and fossil fuels have reduced Eagle Creek's carbon footprint.
An independent panel of judges reviewed nominations that included information on an organization's sustainability initiative and goals, as well as the results and impact of those efforts on the triple bottom line.
The judges were Nicholas Zingale, CEO of Affinity Consultants Inc., a Canal Fulton business consulting firm; Colette Chandler of The Marketing Insider, a Westerville agency; and Glen Hasek, editor and publisher of Middleburg Heights-based Green Lodging News.
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