New Green Business Certifications Announced:

“The success of Santa Monica’s Green Business Certification Program is soaring to new heights and threading its way into the business supply chain,” said Susy Borlido, director of the business greening program at Sustainable Works. “The Program’s newest members, Morley Builders, Hershey|Cause, Universal Music Group, Healthy Spot, and Threshold Media Corporation are strengthening our community’s economic and environmental sustainability,” she added. “When businesses go green something amazing happens – they partner with businesses that supply green materials, products, and services, which in turn support [more] green businesses.” These five companies bring the total certifications issued by the program to 33. Certifications are good for two-year terms, but because the program is still young there have been few re-certifications issued. Morley Builders is one of the largest construction and engineering firms in Southern California. Among its many green successes is its ability to divert up to 92 percent of construction and demolition waste for reuse and recycling. It also requires many of its vendors to provide paper products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Morley was a 2008 winner of a Sustainable Quality Award in the program sponsored by the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, the City of Santa Monica, and Sustainable Works.Hershey|Cause is a communications agency offering marketing and consulting services to socially-minded corporate clients and nonprofit groups nationwide. The company is committed to exemplifying the change it works to create in the world socially, culturally, and environmentally. It has implemented numerous green practices at its office and directed its HVAC and pest control service providers to promote and employ environmentally friendly practices.Universal Music Group (UMG) is a leading company for recorded music and music publishing; its most notable green business achievement was earning the Energy Star label for energy efficiency. An Energy Star-qualified facility meets strict energy performance standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and uses less energy, is less expensive to operate, and causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its peers. Threshold Media Corporation is a recording studio and video post-production facility. Its recent remodel incorporates energy-efficient design into its studio, including compact fluorescent lighting retrofits and solar tubes, a device that brings daylight via tubes in to poorly lit areas. It also stocks its kitchen with reusable plates, mugs, and silverware. Healthy Spot provides preventative and proactive canine care along with eco-friendly products, organic foods, and a variety of services ranging from doggie day care to pet grooming. It is the first pet shop in Santa Monica to achieve Green Business Certification. Healthy Spot purchases a remarkable range of environmentally beneficial pet products from suppliers ranging from USDA-certified organic food to non-toxic, organic cotton dog toys and post-consumer-content recycled crate mats made from plastic bottles. Green certified businesses can be identified by the GBC decal in their window. For more information on these and all Santa Monica Green Certified Businesses, visit www.smgbc.org.