Lance Schmidt - FG Ayers
The Nominator: Tom Crain, Goin` Green Guy
How has the nominee implemented sustainable business practices in his or her business or organization and what are the triple bottom line benefits (people, planet, prosperity) of the nominee`s work?
He is one of the few builders that does not allow a dumpster at his building sites. Rather, he finds recycling uses for each and every item removed from a rehab and any waste associated with a new structure. He believes that energyStar does not go far enough. His building practices blow the EnergyStar rankings out of the water! One of his demo homes is to show the public and those in the construction industry how building materials can be conserved, construction waste minimized and a home`s energy-efficiency improved, all without significantly increasing the cost. And because students in the Akron Public Schools` Education in Action program are involved in the construction, it`s also an opportunity to teach green building techniques to the next generation of tradespeople. To achieve those environmental benefits, the builders are using a number of construction methods that aren`t standard in the industry. He sources the most green building components when building a new structure. He is one of the few builders in the Eastern US certified to build a `Passive House` which is a net zero energy home from Germany and found throughout Europe. He is truly a pioneer in this area. He will be building the first passive house here in NE Ohio.
How has the nominee inspired you to implement sustainable business practices?
He and his wife Cheryl live a sustainable life--he doesn`t just apply it to his work. They raise chickens, compost, can and preserve their vegetables. They use biofuel for their furnace. The list goes on and on. He is an outstanding teacher and instructor for the trade as well as consumers when he holds multiple tours at his building sites. He also works with high school students and will be working with Univ of Akron students to assist in his building efforts and learn his unique green building practices.
How can someone else translate the success of the nominee? Is the work of the nominee an example or model that others can follow?
Absolutely. He is a superb teacher and inspirational leader in sustainability for the homebuilders not only within his trade organization, the HBA, but throughout the US. He has several homes built that demonstrate his principles.
How does the nominee actively participate in the sustainability community? How do they collaborate and share their knowledge with others?
Schmidt, who is vice president of the local HBA and takes over as president next year, pledged to use his office to continue educating his fellow builders on green techniques. And he hopes that in the next year the two organizations can collaborate on construction of a prototype net-zero house, one that is super efficient and has a small solar-energy system to produce electricity so its net energy consumption is zero.
