Brooklyn's Progress
August/September 2008

BY JILL D’AMICO

“Going green” has gone beyond buzzword to a full-fledged movement. Without trying too hard, one can drive a Prius (if driving at all) to a local farmer’s market, pick up some pesticide-free produce, and take the purchases – in an organic cotton tote bag, of course – back to one’s LEED-rated home.

While the effort has visibly seeped into homes over the last few years, small businesses have been quietly staking out the forefront of the green revolution. Free of the hassles it would take for a larger company to retool; small businesses are investing in green building, technology and sustainable operations, and are set to enjoy the benefits for years to come.

Go Big or Go Home
Andrew Personette is the executive director of EcoSystems, a business that designs commercial furniture to benefit both ecology and economy. An early interest in environmentally friendly business practices also led Mr. Personette to found Acolyte, a consulting company that serves to foster the sustainable ethos.

Larger investments in sustainability can make business sense in the long-term.

“Sustainability is about developing forward-looking solutions and a long view of things like maintenance,” he said. “We call it assessing the cost of ownership. It can save you in the long run while it might cost more upfront.”

A green roof, for example, might seem like a large undertaking at first, said Mr. Personette, but “it will continue to save money without continually investing in it.”

Bay Ridge’s Spa and Wellness Center was recently rechristened as Green Spa New York. Along with co-owners Sheila and Maureen Brody, Maria Ingardia purchased a three-story building to house their already successful spa business when they decided to go for a complete green renovation.

“At first we just knew we wanted to use recycled denim jeans for the insulation,” said Ms. Ingardia, “But we started learning more and more about eco-friendly building and it grew from there.”

The trio completed the green renovation and opened their doors in April of 2007. With bamboo flooring, copper piping and green insulation, the spa has come full circle, running a green operation. Everything from the cleaning products to the private-label beauty line is entirely natural.

People Power
“We took a giant leap. So many people discouraged us,” said Ms. Ingardia. It didn’t take long for people to come around, however. Their spa guests and 60 employees are happier, and, Ms. Ingardia says, healthier for it.

“Even the construction workers were thanking us that they didn’t get sick from working with toxic materials,” she said.

Brooklyn’s Garrison Architects is a green-focused architecture firm that aims to build with, rather than against, nature.

“We try to minimize energy use, like air conditioning and heating,” said Tim Peterson, who does marketing for the company.

Building airy, open and clean in the first place can increase your access to less energy waste, and have another welcome side-effect: happy workers.

“You have to look at health benefits of your employees,” said Mr. Peterson. “Workers' health and productivity improves when they have access to things like light and fresh air.”

Jared Gilbert, who works with Cook+Fox architects, a firm that is building and retrofitting green buildings throughout New York City, concurs.

The workplace environment is of growing importance to employees, especially for firms that attract young, creative people, said Mr. Gilbert.

“Attracting and retaining the best employees is something that small business can’t pass up,” he said.

Natural Selection
Mr. Peterson, of Garrison Architects, said they try to utilize sustainable elements already in place.

“We take advantage of things like siting, materials, climate, and passive ventilation to minimize wasteful uses of energy,” he said.

Mr. Gilbert said Cook+Fox’s headquarters is built to allow as much natural sunlight in as possible, thus saving on energy costs. He estimated they save about 25% on their lighting bills by using an automatic dimmer that only kicks in to make up for the sun’s movement throughout the day.

Worth the Cost
Ms. Ingardia and her partners were able to invest in their renovations thanks to prior success, but, she said, “It wasn’t a fortune.”

“We were able to do it, but we’re family owned and operated,” she said. “Yes, it took dedication; we even took on some of the contracting work ourselves.”

Amy Coffman, an architect and LEED Accredited Professional with Terrapin Bright Green, a consulting and strategic planning group with a focus on environmental strategy and policy, said that small businesses are coming around to the benefits of investing in green building and operations.

“For a lot of companies it is about improving the workplace, and their employee’s health and well-being,” she said. “A nice space – one with natural light, and clean, fresh air can be done for little to no investment at all.”

This especially rings true if your business is focused on challenges such as energy costs.

“You want to walk the walk,” she said, “and do what you’re trying to get everyone else to do.”

Ms. Ingardia agreed.

“We’re in the wellness business,” she reasoned. “We just took it one step further.”