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Jeff Baldassari
The Taylor Companies

The Nominator: Janet Parker, Taylor Resources

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?
Taylor worked with county, state & federal officials to remediate an abandoned brownfield. Taylor then constructed its new manufacturing facility and headquarters. This new facility now consumes 59% less natural resources than the two former facilities that moved into it. Finally, through composting, recycling and upcycling, over 90% of the waste generated at this new facility is diverted away from landfills.  Taylor has taken land that was abandoned and polluted since 1987 and brought it back to life. This new facility provides jobs to many in a beautiful environment. Finally, the impact on the surrounding environment is negligible.

How has the nominee inspired you to implement sustainable business practices?
Taylor is a member of E4S. They share their story with their customers throughout the USA. When others ask for specifics, Jeff tells them of the exact steps they took and who can help in this process.  Taylor’s Operations Are Certified Green Plus™  See Press Release below    The Taylor Companies, established in 1816 and believed to be the oldest furniture manufacturer in the United States, is the first Ohio business to be Certified Green Plus™ by the Institute of Sustainable Development.  Taylor was recently featured in a Business Week article “When Going Green Isn’t About Marketing” for its efforts to approach zero waste in its manufacturing operations.  Taylor was recognized by the Institute of Sustainable Development for its exceptional business, environmental and community practices.  Green Plus™ was developed by the North Carolina Research Triangle based Institute for Sustainable Development and it is the official small and medium sized enterprise sustainability program for the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).  The ACCE is comprised of a national 1,300 chamber network.  Green Plus™ is not a product specific certification program; rather it is a broad practices sustainability certification.  The Green Plus™ model was developed by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business in 2007.  UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University developed online sustainability tools that were tested in several states throughout 2008.  “Taylor demonstrates that the concepts of sustainability and long-term competitiveness are becoming one and the same,” said Chris Carmody, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development.  “Taylor provides a great example for any business of how efficient management coupled with sustainable environmental and community practices improve both a company’s bottom line and the world around it, “ Carmody concluded.  Taylor CEO Jeff Baldassari said, “We believe that Green Plus™ adds value to our Company in three areas.  First it has opened our eyes to new sustainable practices that we had not previously considered.  Second, it has motivated our Company to achieve additional sustainable practices.  Finally, Green Plus™ lends an objective standard to the field of sustainability and by doing so, credible practices are recognized and green washing is not accepted.”  More information regarding Taylor’s certification can be found at www.gogreenplus.org.

How can someone else translate the success of the nominee? Is the work of the nominee an example or model that others can follow?
Taylor has shown us the possibilities. They have taken land polluted with hazardous waste and turned it into a beautiful setting for a business. Moreover, they didn`t stop there, they found ways to reduce their consumption of natural resources on a big scale as well as reduce waste in landfills. I figured if a large manufacturing plant can make big, audacious improvements with the environment, we all can on a much smaller scale.

How does the nominee actively participate in the sustainability community? How do they collaborate and share their knowledge with others?
Taylor has demonstrated that if you take the time to look at the situation and think of the possibilities, you`ll find the ways in small simple steps to achieve your sustainable goals.