Green Plus Certification Program


Green Plus is a program to provide affordable, practical expertise to Lancaster's small businesses and help them become more sustainable. Through a partnership with North Carolina's Institute for Sustainable Development, The Chamber is offering Chamber members the opportunity to utilize Green Plus' online tools with advice from other businesses and university partners to help members assess their business performance, as well as their environmental and community stewardship and create sustainability plans.

The certification process is really quite easy. After taking the Green Plus Sustainability Diagnostic Tool, businesses wtih an exceptional level of sustainability performance may earn Green Plus certification. This designation entitles participants to:

  • Display the Green Plus logo at their place of business and on their website
  • Publicity tied to the Green Plus program
  • Consideration for the Annual Green Plus Sustainable Enterprise Awards

How Do I Sign Up?
Go to www.gogreenplus.org and submit the registration form.

How Much Does it Cost?
Green Plus is now available at an introductory price of $350 for members of The Chamber.

Green Plus Certified Chamber Members:

Cargas Systems

Our relocation plans were largely driven by the need to support continued growth. The facility was constructed from the ground up with cost-effective sustainability in mind and is on target to receive LEED Silver certification. In June 2010, the Institute for Sustainable Development announced Cargas as the winner of their 2010 Green Plus North American Sustainable Enterprise of the Year award. This is in recognition of our sustainable growth, green building design and vision of a healthier environment for our community and employees. Click Here for more information about our building design elements and green living practices.

Cargas is an employee-owned software and consulting company. We specialize in two areas: (1)   Cargas Energy, software for fuel delivery and service companies; (2)   Microsoft Dynamics ERP, CRM and HR software for a broad range of industries.

Established in 1988, Cargas fosters a unique culture of employee ownership, shared values and a commitment to excellence that is evident in the quality of service we provide to our customers. Cargas has been named a Best Place to Work in PA for the past six years in the medium sized company category, ranking #1 in 2006. In addition, we were recognized nationally as a Top Small Company Workplace Finalist for the past two years by Inc. Magazine and The Wall Street Journal.

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High Construction Company

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jke marketing & communications

As the heart of jke marketing & communications, Jenny actively involves her clients in each venture, helping them to reach or exceed their goals through exciting and sustainable strategies, projects and activities. She also is a popular national speaker and trainer.

jke marketing & communications reaffirms that a sole proprietor/home office business can handily manage the Green Plus triple bottom line. Jenny uses a variety of energy efficient computer equipment and accessories (including a "green" website hosting company), appliances, and lighting.  Incorporating many of the concepts of the Chesapeake BayScapes program, she also has landscaped with native plants and a riparian buffer to protect local streams from pollution and sedimentation, recycles, and uses FSC paper.  She donates to and volunteers with numerous community organizations, builds pro bono work into her strategic business plan, and provides internships and mentoring.

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Laser Plus

Laser Plus has been a leader in the printer sales, service and supplies industry since 1986, as well as a service provider and reseller of new and refurbished office machines. The organization has made several physical modifications that would help the Laser Plus employees to live the sustainability concept more fully on a daily basis; from rewiring lighting into zones to earth friendly cleaning materials and supplies for the lunch room. Half of the employees serve on boards, others act as volunteer EMTs, adopt highways, help in local schools, done in a day events, and play pool for charity.

Laser Plus is a leader in remanufactured laser print cartridges and printer repairs. We have also supplied quality refurbished and new HP printers to growing businesses and schools. Our proprietary Intuitive Print Management solution is saving our customers up to 30% of their operating budgets by helping them to print smarter. Our team of Hewlett Packard certified printer service technicians can often provide same-day service within the Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Reading, Washington, Pittsburgh, PA, and surrounding regions.

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Warfel Construction Company

Warfel Construction Company is proud to be a finalist in the North America n Sustainable Enterprise Awards program. Approaching our 100th year in business in 2011, we feel that we have always been committed to sustainable practices, even before ‘sustainable’ and ‘green’ became buzzwords. The construction industry has been regarded in the past as indifferent to this cause, but at Warfel Construction Company, (and more than likely many companies across the country), we have always taken our role as builders and our effect on the environment very seriously. As early as the sixties and seventies, our firm was already utilizing recycling containers on the jobsites and properly disposing of hazardous materials and other waste.

In recent years, with LEED certification and other industry wide efforts to promote green building design and construction, these practices in construction have become much more widespread. Since earning the GreenPlus certification in 2009, we feel we have helped further educate and impress upon our employees the importance of our efforts, and how they can contribute in their everyday endeavors both at work and at home. Additionally, our use of advertising the certification on local billboards really raised awareness within our community about sustainability and green practices within our industry. We have had many comments from associates in all areas of business take note and we believe we have inspired many of our local chamber members to achieve the GreenPlus certification as well.

At Warfel, we’ve approached “Green” as a lifestyle change. In order to truly be responsible, as a business, employer and community leaders, we have to constantly be on the lookout for new and better ways to do business, protect our environment, and contribute positively to our community. We are always trying to maximize our efforts through continued education.

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Wenger Feeds

Wenger Feeds is a leading manufacturer of feed and feed ingredients, and supplier of allied services in the Mid-Atlantic region. The company became Green Plus certified in 2010.

Wenger Feeds has a dedicated yearly budget for environmental projects. In 2010, the company installed new energy efficient lighting in three facilities. The cost of the project will be covered in one year with expected electricity savings. Manufacturing waste is reused whenever possible. In 2010, the amount of waste product, which was sent outside the company for reuse or disposal, was reduced by 7%. Waste oil generated by the truck garage was entirely reused to heat the building in 2009 with a small portion sent for recycling in 2010. The company fleet runs on a 2% biodiesel blend.

Stewardship has been part of the company’s vision statement since 1999. In addition to the company’s interest in stewardship, Wenger Feeds’ owner and chairman Barry Shaw has a passion for environmental projects, and, in conjunction with Penn State University, Barry offered his own personal property to compost chicken manure for an abandoned mine reclamation project in the Commonwealth. Finally, in 2010, the company purchased and planted 80 trees for a parcel of company-owned land near a milling facility.

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Wohlsen Construction Company

Since 1890, Wohlsen Construction Company has operated on solid core values and sustainability has been one of them. Wohlsen takes pride in making decisions not based on what is good for a company right now, but what is best for our company, community and clients, long term. Wohlsen became the 3rd company in PA to receive Green Plus Certification and was honored to receive the North American Sustainable Enterprise Award in 2010. And has also been named a Certified Green Contractor by Associated Builders and Contractors.

People: As an employee owned company, we realize that our most important asset is our employees. We work to provide our team with satisfying and fulfilling roles both inside our company and in the community.

Planet: Now it is more important than ever to consider the environmental impacts of our business practices. We are proactive with regards to green buildings and sustainable business practices. By training our employees and upgrading our facilities, we feel that we are doing our part to reduce our impact on the environment.

Performance: As a leader in the construction industry, we believe in dong things the right way, the sustainable way. We believe by reducing our energy consumption, our waste stream and our depletion of natural resources, we are helping future generations to be successful.

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Four Seasons Produce, Inc.

Four Seasons Produce has grown up in an industry known for its competitive nature, fast pace, and need to operate with low costs. When David Hollinger started Four Seasons Produce in 1976 with a few trucks and a 5,000 square foot warehouse, being efficient was critical to survival. The focus on cost reduction has continued in the years since then, as the company has grown to many times its original size. Its commitment to continuous improvement has led the company to research and implement a variety of energy-saving initiatives. Starting around 2006, anticipating that future energy costs would be significantly higher, the company formalized its energy and sustainability strategy by committing to “… implement innovative yet proven cost-saving methods to reduce our energy use, conserve resources, and improve the environment.”

The company’s strategy has included regularly monitoring available methods, tools, technologies, and trends to identify potential ways to reduce energy or resource use, and pursuing those that are estimated to have the fastest payback. This includes applying environmental thinking and careful analysis to select energy and sustainability initiatives in order of financial feasibility and economic return. Once chosen, projects are implemented through solution providers and suppliers who share the company’s environmental commitment and core values. The facilities team sets tangible goals on an annual basis, and carefully measures results to regularly assess progress. Those results have been significant – leading to reductions in energy and resource use in excess of 20%. The commitment to become more sustainable also includes joining partnerships and achieving certifications to drive ongoing continuous improvement in these areas. The company also commits to share ideas, information, efforts and results with our customers, associates, and suppliers.

The company's commitment to growing ideas and producing excellence also drives its focus on people. Through careful recruiting, a strong commitment to developing the talents of our associates, and regularly assessing and coaching performance, the company has developed a winning culture that extends to many parts of our operation – and results in superior customer service.”

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High Associates Ltd.

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Green Plus Movers, Legacy Movers and Pre-Movers:

Denver Truck Painting, Inc.

Flowers by Paulette

Laser Lab, Inc.

RW Sauder, Inc.

Miller's Smorgasbord & Bakery

True Edge Performance Solutions, LLC

Walz Deihm Geisenberger Bucklen & Tennis, PC

For more information, contact Dan Arnold or visit the Go Green Plus website.
 

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