Thurston Green Business Program Recognizes 35 Local Businesses

The winners of the Thurston Green Business Awards Program were announced at the Chamber’s April Forum luncheon. In addition, 35 local businesses received recognition for their efforts in the program which recognizes local businesses for their sustainability efforts.

The winners are Providence St. Peter Hospital (large business category), Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters (medium business category), and Premiere Salon & Spa (small business category).

“We were impressed with all of the applications,” said Mike Williams who coordinates the program for the Thurston Chamber. “Thirty-five businesses were recognized as Thurston Green Businesses, which means they get a window sticker for their business location and permission to use the Green Business logo on any of their promotional materials. In the end, the committee chose the special recognition winners based on a point system.”

The program is a partnership between the City of Olympia and the Thurston County Chamber, with additional program support coming from Puget Sound Energy.  This is the first year of the program. Businesses filled out an on-line application and survey indicating what they are doing in the areas of green building, waste reduction & recycling, water conservation, energy efficiency, transportation, pollution prevention and buying & selling green products.

“We were thrilled that thirty-five businesses qualified.” says Olympia Councilmember Karen Messmer. “That says a lot about our local business community’s commitment to sustainability. To put it in perspective, we modeled this program after the Chamber of Commerce WorkWell Healthy Workplace Program, which had eleven applicants its first year.”

Return to Home Page