A new ad campaign launched on a Montgomery County’s Ride On bus on June 10, highlighted the first 20 green-certified businesses and organizations under the new Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program. The campaign aims to encourage more companies to “get on board” the green business movement by getting certified and featured in future promotions.
The new ad campaign launch was announced just prior to Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC)’s 2010 Annual Dinner, which took place at the conference center. The dinner attracted 600-plus local business leaders, along with an array of elected officials and community leaders.
“We greatly appreciate MCCC’s recognition of our successful partnership in the Green Business Certification Program, which is creating a greener economy in Montgomery County,” said Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett at the ad campaign’s kick-off .
The Montgomery County Green Business Certification Program which initially launched in December is a partnership between the County’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and Montgomery College, which provides training to businesses on how to become green and attain the certification.
Environmental stewardship
The businesses certified under the County’s Green Business Certification Program have demonstrated their commitment to environmental stewardship, conservation of energy and water, carbon footprint reduction, waste reduction and recycling.
Businesses and employees in Montgomery country voiced enthusiasm for the green business initiatives:
“Our law firm believes that Green business is good business. More and more government contractors and companies are sensitive to who their vendors are?they want to hire vendors that care enough to give back to the community,” said Debbie Klis, attorney at Shulman Rogers.
“Our company is really into sustainable energy and doing responsible real-estate development projects that actually contribute to the communities that we develop in. In the firm’s principles, we live this mentality every day,” said Carlos Bonner with the Maven Group, one of the first green-certified businesses.
“The Green Business Certification Program is encouraging environmental responsibility, and customers will have a way of recognizing which businesses are going green. Businesses are telling us that our comprehensive program is actually motivating them to further expand their green activities,” said Leggett.
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) received the MCCC Partner of the Year Award, which was accepted by DEP Director Robert G. Hoyt. At the dinner, the Chamber presented its “Partner of the Year Award” to DEP, in recognition of the department’s work in successfully launching the Green Business Certification Program.
Upon accepting the award, Hoyt described the Green Business Certification Program as a true collaboration, and he stated that the most encouraging developments in recent years is that businesses, rather than working against environmental standards, are now our full partners.
The Ride On bus that showcased one of the new Green Business ads is one of the County’s 49 diesel-electric hybrid buses. It delivers significantly better fuel economy than older non-hybrid diesel buses.
Ronny Dory contributed to this report.
