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Jeff Baldassari
The Taylor Companies

The Nominator: Mark Rabkin

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?
When faced with a daunting waste hauling bill in his newly constructed, 70,000+ square foot manufacturing facility, Jeff Baldassari knew there had to be some better way to deal with garbage.  He engaged his staff to help him create a waste management program that diverts as much of their trash as possible.  When examining the design and operation of the new building, Jeff and his management team made the decision to invest extra in high efficiency building systems to keep the long term ownership costs at reasonable and predictable levels.  Special air handling and balancing systems were set up in the finishing room to keep his dedicated staff in a safe and healthy environment, despite the industry standard to do the "bare minimum" even if detrimental to the worker.      By diverting a significant portion of their garbage away from the waste stream, Jeff no longer gets a Christmas card from their garbage man.  Where the costs in the past hovered around $20,000 a year, this year, Taylor projects a net-zero cost to their waste hauling due to careful redirection of the various by-products of their furniture manufacturing process.  The heating system that works in conjunction with the sawdust collection system returns up to 80% of the warm air from the manufacturing floor.  This investment paid for itself in less than 2 years.  In identifying recipients for the waste created in their various processes, Jeff engaged the workforce to offer their suggestions.  One employee, active in the equine community offered to haul away the tons of sawdust at no cost to Taylor for use in stables and arenas for their horses.  Jeff credits his employees for being active in the sustainability efforts of the company and has seen increases in productivity and reductions in turnover since beginning the engagement.     Jeff`s vision for the direction of the company was the driving force behind Taylor`s decision to re-invest in the local community by deciding to construct their facility here in Bedford.  In business since the Civil War, Taylor is one of the oldest, family owned businesses in the country.  With roots in Bedford, Jeff returned the company back to its origins despite the lure of other areas of the country that may have been less expensive.  It was Jeff`s belief that Taylor belongs in Bedford and that the six generations of the family that ran the company before he took the helm 15 years ago would not support a decision to flee the area.      The various endeavors undertaken throughout the company have established Taylor as a leader in their industry both regionally and nationally.

How has the nominee inspired you to implement sustainable business practices?
Jeff is a willing contributor to the regional conversation on sustainable business practices.  Not shy on a discussion panel in front of 10 colleagues or 700 total stragers, Jeff will tell you honestly about the challenges and successes he has faced in his journey down this path.  The doors to Taylor are open to anyone interested in seeing first hand the processes they have implemented.  Jeff will devote time from his very busy schedule running a multi-million dollar enterprise with over 100 employees and takes great pride in showcasing his facility to his colleagues.  Taking the tour will make you wish all manufacturing firms felt the way Jeff does about sustainability.      Whether on a panel at the Mayor`s Summit addressing the steps Taylor has taken to be more sustainable or leading a Zero-Waste discussion topic at a local E4S event or being featured in Businessweek, Jeff`s primary concern is to spread the message - that sustainable business practices put money back into the company.  Identifying strategic initiatives to either mitigate cost, protect the workforce or reduce negative environmental impact in Jeff`s opinion is like putting money back into your own pocket.

How can someone else translate the success of the nominee? Is the work of the nominee an example or model that others can follow?
The first time I met Jeff, the first thing he said was that he`s no tree-hugging environmentalist.  He hasn`t engaged in "green" business practices to save the planet.  He believes, and has experienced, the direct financial benefit to his company, their employees and his surrounding community for undertaking initiatives to reduce waste and increase operational efficiency.  For me, the challenge in the sustainability discussion is bridging the dialogue between the extreme environmentalists and the pragmatic business community.  By providing real, experiential evidence, Jeff speaks passionately about environmental stewardship to one particular audience and can instantly shift gears and smoothly transition his arguments to appeal to the business case for sustainability to another without missing a beat.      As Bill Doty told me recently, to be truly sustainable, you have to make money.  Otherwise, you are just another loud voice in a deafening movement.  Jeff is a perfect example of leading an organization that effectively achieves positive results to each aspect of the company`s triple bottom line.

How does the nominee actively participate in the sustainability community? How do they collaborate and share their knowledge with others?
The manufacturing community in Northeast Ohio is antiquated at best.  For the region`s small to medium sized firms, any change right now is met with anxiety and trepidation for fear of any further bad news.  However, as it has been said, true growth occurs when you become uncomfortable.  The manufacturing community is plenty uncomfortable in today`s economy and have most likely begun implementing as many cost saving measures as possible without eliminating staff.  They probably don`t realize that their efforts are reducing waste being sent to landfills because they want to save money on their refuse hauling expense.  They have lowered their thermostat in the winter and raised it in the summer to avoid overpaying their utility costs, not because they want to send a message to First Energy and Dominion.  They are concerned about the health and welfare of their employees to reduce their health insurance and workers compensation costs, reduce employee turnover and increase productivity.  If these colleagues spent some time with Jeff, he would help them to recognize that their current efforts to reduce cost are the primary steps in becoming a truly sustainable business enterprise.  With careful guidance, strategic marketing and community engagement, these firms will represent their respective industries in the transition to turn Cleveland into a green city on a blue lake.