Our members continue to amaze us with their commitment to sustainability and their innovative green and social responsibility initiatives. They lead by example and demonstrate how business can be used as a platform for good. Now that 2020 is over, we’d like to take this time to recognize some of our member companies via our 2nd annual “Best of GBB” awards. All of our members are regular companies with businesses to run, and they all do their part in becoming greener, more socially responsible and thoughtful. We’ve selected five members who stood out, created great greener businesses and demonstrated their commitment to sustainability with tangible actions and results!
Previous winners in 2019 included CyberArk, School Specialty, Big Rig Wraps, Duro Cleaners and Web Hosting Canada.
HIT PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
A leader in the Promotional Products Industry for over 50 years, Hit Promotional Products is ranked among the top 5 suppliers in the nation. With over 1,400 items and over 500 new items per year, Hit Promotional prides itself on being a one stop shop for promotional products and ideas. They have been a very active member within our GBB community and helped many of our members with their sustainability programs. Not only has Hit Promotional become a green manufacturer (See list below of their green programs and accomplishments), they donate 5% of their profits from their AWS line of merchandise to an honored past founder’s favorite charities.
SMOG ARMOR
Smog Armor is an exciting, new eco-friendly paint brand that has created a solution to tackle and eliminate indoor air pollution by adding a mineral that actively purifies the air wherever the paint is used. Their paints are all non-toxic, have Zero-VOC, and are environmentally friendly so they do not contaminate landfills or waterways at the end of its life’s cycle. Their labels are also made with 100% recycled paper and they have created a paint pouch that uses 80% less plastic than standard paint cans. All of Smog Armor’s materials are sourced in the US and they’ve partnered with a local green paint manufacturer to make the paints locally and reduce their carbon footprint. Smog Armor’s social mission is to improve air quality within communities and the surrounding environment through donating their product for creating anti-air pollution murals in schools, public and private facilities, and buildings.
MARTINREA INTERNATIONAL
Founded in 2001, Martinrea International is one of the leading Tier One automotive suppliers of vehicle parts, assemblies and modules. They are a top supplier of lightweight structures and fluid management/propulsion systems. Martinrea’s goal for environmental sustainability is to ensure the responsible use of natural resources and the prevention and reduction of negative environmental impacts like emissions, energy and water over-consumption, and waste generation. The company’s lightweighting strategy helps to improve fuel efficiency (or in the case of electric vehicles, driving range per charge) and lower CO2 emissions while LEAN manufacturing practices minimize waste (e.g., energy efficiency, reduction of water consumption and waste generation). Martinrea requires its manufacturing facilities to receive ISO 14001 or functionally equivalent environmental certification where required. They also have several major zero landfill initiatives underway.
Tom Permatteo, CEO of GBB (right), awarding Pat D’Eramo, President and CEO (left), and Lynda Kuechle, Senior Accounting Analyst (middle) of Martinrea International for achieving the GBB Zero Waste initiative
SPECTRAFORCE
SPECTRAFORCE is an innovative and award-winning global staffing and consulting firm supporting over one hundred Fortune 1000 clients for contingent, direct hire, and Statement of Work services. The company is passionate about continually creating a culture of joy, fulfilment, and meaningful contribution to the world. They accomplish this mission through a happy medium of state-of-the-art technologies combined with empowered and driven people following and developing sound, proven processes. This framework allows SPECTRAFORCE to consistently deliver high quality services to their clients, candidates, and employees through the innovative concept of NEWJOBPHORIA™, the cure for the common job™.
SPECTRAFORCE joined the Green Business Bureau to gain real-time insight into the GBB Sustainability Framework of greening and sustainability initiatives so that they, too, could develop an internal framework for achieving more with actionable outcomes, while being able to showcase their efforts to their employees, customers, partners, and the communities they serve. Their Sustainability Committee ECOPHORIA™ includes employees from all departments and backgrounds which empowers and enables open discussion to present their sustainability ideas, aspirations, successes, and achievements across various platforms, including trade shows, social media, and blogs.
IMPETUS DIGITAL
Toronto based and internationally known, Impetus Digital offers life sciences companies a robust platform for virtualizing team meetings, co-author working groups, training sessions, advisory boards, conferences, and much more. Impetus Digital’s interactive platform not only connects participants from near and far, it has profound benefits for the planet too. By replacing or augmenting in-person meetings with remote alternatives, travel emissions are substantially reduced and the waste and costs from printed agendas, food and drink, and other meeting materials are avoided. (Learn more about the details in the Impetus Digital GBB member story).
Set to officially launch in 2021, Impetus Digital’s Insite Event™ platform will expand the green benefits of virtual events on a larger scale by replicating all aspects of real medical conferences. The platform will deliver the educational and networking value of large assemblies while also supporting planetary wellbeing.
Dubbed “small but mighty”, the Impetus Digital green team ensures the company stays on track with its green goals and employees are aligned with this sustainability commitment. With representation from sales, marketing, digital and client services, the six member team is actively brainstorming new ways to enhance sustainable thinking within the company and their clients. Among others, participating in a plant-a-tree program and organizing company-wide (remote) Earth Day activities are some initiatives proposed for the future. So, while the Impetus Digital team operates in different corners of the world, they build collective momentum and positive change through networking and their individual contributions.
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