Business boost with green practices

03/24/2010 10:00 PM

By IAN FULLERTON
Contributing Reporter

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Panelists (from left) Rita Gutenkanst of Limelight Catering and Shannon Downey of Pivotal Chicago listen to Kim Brokhof of Local Governments for Sustainability USA at a forum on the finer points of how to "green" your business.
Photos by IAN FULLERTON/Contributor



Forum panelist with members of the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce and Children's Memorial Hospital.

Being green can go a long way these days, especially if you’re a business owner.

Whether it’s a zoning change, tax incentives or just some good old word-of-mouth exposure, adding an eco-friendly twist to your operation can be the extra kick that makes your business model thrive.

That was the message Tuesday night at “Living Green in Lincoln Park,” a forum sponsored by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce and Children’s Memorial Hospital. The panel discussion was part of the Lincoln Park Community Wide program, an initiative by the hospital and various resident groups aimed at enhancing social and community services in the neighborhood.

“This whole sustainability thing is a train that is picking up steam,” said Dr. James Montgomery, the director of DePaul University’s Environmental Science Department. “You can chose to be a part of that or not.”

Panelist Rita Gutenkanst, a principal with Lincoln Park’s Limelight Catering, said that her journey into green business practices started with chasing quality products.

“Our clientele always wanted to know where the food was coming from,” she said. “We were sourcing products from everywhere.”

Her company began looking into organic foods, which eventually led to purchasing local and seasonal goods.

This seemed to agree with their customers’ tastes; Limelight flourished under these practices, and the company even went on to cater President Barack Obama’s election night party in Grant Park.

Gutenkanst said that running a green business isn’t about being perfect.

“We don’t have a zero-waste kitchen,” she said. “I’m not sure what that is, I’m not sure it’s possible.”

Shannon Downey was freelancing for an events company when she saw the green light.

“We would put together these big productions, and at the end of the night every single thing would go in the trash,” she said.

Downey now runs Pivotal Chicago, her own events and marketing company that prides itself on “eco-innovative solutions” for what can sometimes be a wasteful industry. The group uses natural cleaning products, maps out public transit alternatives for event-goers and opts to collaborate with green-savvy venues.

“Everything I do is about doing business better,” she said.

Downey is also a part-time faculty member at DePaul and co-editor of afreshsqueeze.com, a website that disseminates tips on how to live and work greener in Chicago.

The incentives for eco-friendly business practices can go beyond self-fulfillment, said panelist Kim Brokhof.

Brokhof got her start as an unpaid intern with Chicago’s Department of Environment. She now works for Local Governments for Sustainability USA and as a coordinator for the Chicago Green Office Challenge.

The program incentivizes commercial property owners and office tenants to improve the environmental performance of their business operations.

“There’s an energy component that deals with simple things such as recycling CFL bulbs and batteries, and turning off your computer when you leave the office at the end of the day,” she said.

Participants are acknowledged for their achievements in greening their operations through mayoral and media recognition. The program is partnered with companies such as ComEd and Office Depot.

Panelist also discussed green-networking, managing purchasing plans for business owners, and weeding out what has come to be known as “greenwashing,” or the deceptive practice of companies spinning their products and policies as environmentally-conscious.

The forum took place on Tuesday night at DePaul’s Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan Science building.


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