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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />While Joe Santana does not presume to <br />understand all of the latest climate science, he <br />has his own opinions about global warming. But <br />as head of operations at Mi Rancho, a family- <br />owned tortilla producer in San Leandro, Calif., <br />he understands the importance of saving <br />money. <br /> <br /> After attending a series of workshops on <br />sustainable business practices, Mr. Santana <br />recently put into action a number of energy- <br />efficiency and waste-reduction measures that he <br />estimates will save Mi Rancho about $100,000 a <br />year and pay for themselves well within the first <br />year. <br /> <br />“And if that’s good for the planet,” he said, “all <br />the better.” “Sustainability” and “going green” are <br />buzzwords that get overused, but many <br />business owners are discovering that looking at <br />their operations through a green lens can help <br />them reduce costs, rethink long held business <br />practices and open doors to new opportunities. <br />Here are some tips on getting started. <br /> <br />START AT THE TOP The commitment to make <br />a business greener has to come from top <br />management, said Dan Bramblett, an executive <br />at Estes Heating and Air Conditioning, a <br />contractor based in Atlanta: “There are many <br />things employees can do to start the process, <br />but driving this through the company culture <br />must start at the top.” <br /> <br />At the same time, he added, “engaging <br />employees is key to getting everyone on board.” <br /> <br />Mr. Santana advised setting up internal green <br />teams, consisting of volunteers from <br /> <br />management and staff who meet on a regular <br />basis. At Mi Rancho, the sustainability group <br />meets once a month to review strategy, check <br />progress and identify energy-saving actions. <br />Some of the best ideas come from the front <br />lines. <br /> <br />TAKE INVENTORY To begin, Mr. Bramblett <br />said, analyze the business operations with an <br />eye toward reducing energy consumption and <br />waste: “Look at those places where you spend <br />the most money.” <br /> <br />Common areas to consider are lighting, <br />powering your equipment, heating, air- <br />conditioning, transportation and water use. <br /> <br />For Estes, the company’s biggest expense after <br />personnel costs was transportation and fleet <br />maintenance. As part of its energy audit, Estes <br />learned that eight of its full-size trucks were <br />assigned to sales people whodid not need them <br />to make business calls. The company started to <br />swap out the trucks for Ford hybrid sedans, <br />increasing gas mileage to 40 miles a gallon from <br />18 miles a gallon, and saving money in the <br />process. Look also at the waste produced by the <br />H OW TO M AKE Y OUR B USINESS G REENER <br />(AND SAVE M ONEY) <br /> <br />New York Times <br />February 8, 2011 <br />By Jim Witkin (excerpt from full article) <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />San Leandro, CA <br /> <br />