FetterGroup is hosting the first in a series of events designed to create awareness of environmental practices through practical and thoughtful applications. Keynote speaker Brent Fryrear, director of Partnership for a Green City, will discuss proven techniques to address environmental concerns affecting businesses today at The Green Building, 732 East Market Street, FetterGroup is hosting In a casual atmosphere of active participation, diverse members of the regional business community will learn tactics appropriate for any size organization to realize energy reductions, minimize impact, and enjoy lower costs.

As a member of the Louisville business community for 120 years, FetterGroup understands the issues we face today – environmental, social, and fiscal. In August of 2007, our company launched a sustainability initiative with energy, municipal waste, and community service as our top priorities. As a mid-sized business, we did not have dedicated staff with expertise in these areas, nor did we have access to endless cash for financing. Nevertheless, during 2008 we managed to serve our community, reduce energy usage by 16.24%, recycle 96% of our waste, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11.15% - and reduce costs. A cornerstone of our achievements is collaboration with other organizations. Our partner in community service was Habitat for Humanity. This past fall employees voluntarily participated in two different Habitat for Humanity projects. These events were extremely successful and we intend to continue our relationship with Habitat for Humanity this year.

To assist us with energy management, we rely on the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® partnership, the Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center, the federal Department of Energy’s Industrial Assessment Center at the University of Dayton, and our account manager at Louisville Gas and Electric. The Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center and another EPA partnership program, WasteWise, are also instrumental in the success of our waste management efforts. These organizations provide management guidelines, detailed audits and recommendations, tools, and training at no charge.

We believe sustaining economic growth without harming our planet or exhausting its resources and equitably meeting the vital human needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations will require unprecedented collaboration between organizations. We have actively sought to nurture that collaboration by sharing solutions that strike an informed balance between profit, people and the planet with our clients, peers, and vendors. Today, we extend our efforts with this Green series.