KERN BUSINESS JOURNAL
6
OCT/NOV 2012
Kern businesses, individuals honored for being ‘green’ ing practices, Granite Construction’s office on James Road is a Kern Green certified building. The primary building uses 80 percent recycled steel, and 100 percent of the building’s steel will be able to be reused in the future. The company also trains its employees to fulfill Granite’s environmental objectives.
Photo courtesy of Grimmway Farms
Solar panels are among the technologies used by Grimmway Farms to achieve energy efficiency. By Allie Castro
The contributions Kern County businesses and individuals have made to improve the community’s environment were honored during Kern Green’s recent annual awards banquet. The event noted the accomplishments of more than 33 public and private businesses and 11 individuals. The awards celebrated community-nominated businesses and individuals in Kern County that are leading the way towards sustainable living. They highlighted the ways they are keeping Kern County green. Winners included:
2 million gallons of tertiary treated water per day. That water is being used to irrigate soccer fields in Sports Village Park and also will be used for median landscape irrigation surrounding the treatment plant.
Californian file photo
Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall, right, receives the Iron Eyes Cody Award from Keep America Beautiful from Mathew M McKenna, the organization’s President and CEO.
Harvey Hall
Photo courtesy of Chevron
Trans-West Security Services Inc. is one of Chevron’s vendors that uses fuel efficient vehicles.
Grimmway Farms Energy Efficiency Partnering with PG&E since 1990, Grimmway Farms has utilized the most upto-date technologies to ensure that their operations are as energy efficient as possible. Their energy savings to date are: 12,000 kilowatts and 95,105,000 kilowatt hours, which equals approximately 64,000 tons of CO2 removed annually.
Chevron
Photo courtesy of the Aera
Aera Energy LLC has been certified a zerowaste facility.
Sustainable Purchasing Chevron helps reduce the company’s carbon footprint by supporting local businesses and minimizing packaging in its mailroom. During Chevron’s biennial health fairs, more than 60 local vendors are brought in to help generate local revenue and encourage attendees to purchase locally. The company also contracts with vendors who have a clear environmental commitment and purchases products made from recycled content.
Aera Energy LLC
IKEA
Photo courtesy of the City of Bakersfield
Bakersfield Public Works Department Water Conservation The city’s upgraded Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3 in southwest Bakersfield created a process that can produce up to
E & B Green Solutions Pollution Prevention Bakersfield-based E&B Green Solutions markets products that are derived from plant matter, are safe for the environment and the product user, and are completely biodegradable. The company spreads its message at conferences, meetings, and trade shows to introduce companies to renewable, environmentally friendly and commercially viable products.
Photo courtesy of Tejon Ranch
Many features in IKEA’s warehouse-distribution center in the Tejon Ranch Co.’s industrial park save energy.
Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling Aera was the first company in Kern County to be certified as a zero-waste facility. The company’s efforts include green construction practices and materials, battery and hazardous waste collections, and waterless plumbing fixtures. Almost all materials that enter or leave the facility have been reduced, reused or recycled. Upgrading of Bakersfield’s Wastewater Treatment Plant No. 3 produces tertiary treated water that irrigates soccer fields and median landscape.
Individual Eco-volunteer Four-time co-chairman of the annual Great American Cleanup Committee, Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall has stayed busy speaking to the public about litter removal and city beautification, and coordinating such events as the Mayor’s Freeway Cleanup, which has more than 2,600 volunteers picking up more than 7,700 bags of trash along our roadways.
Photo courtesy of Granite Construction
Granite Construction’s new office on James Road is a Kern Green certified building.
Overall Green The home furnishings retailer IKEA has fitted its 1.8-million-square-foot warehouse in the Tejon Ranch Co.’s industrial park, located in southern Kern County, with solar panels and low-energy bulbs, and replaced all lighting in its cranes with LED lights. The company also teamed up with Golden Empire Transit and Tejon Ranch to create a transportation program for its workers.
Greater Bakersfield Green Expo Granite Construction Green Building and Design Showing its commitment to green build-
Green Service A countywide annual event, the Greater Bakersfield Green Expo educates the public Continued on page 7