Graphics Plus owner, David Hell in his print shop in White Center. Photo by Robert J. Pennington

WHITE CENTER – “Check out the color!” David Hell exults as he shows me the new lights in his print warehouse in the sprawling White Center Industrial District. He’s had Graphics Plus, a full-service graphic arts, design and printing service at this location for about 15 years. Recently, he joined NBIS, the (Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability) and learned about Seattle City Light’s Quick Lighting Upgrade Initiative. This fit right in with David’s commitment to reducing the environmental impacts of his business as much as possible.

Those impacts traditionally have been pretty substantial in the printing business–volumes of wasted paper, toxic print materials and heavy metal chemical baths–but David had already addressed many of these well before it was a trend to do so. He had already upgraded his production system to a computerized process that eliminated paper waste and the chemical-heavy technologies of printing with metal or paper plates. With more than 38 years in business, he was delighted to learn about another way to save money and further “green” his business–a way made possible by Seattle City Light’s Quick Lighting Upgrade Initiative.

He called Seattle City Light’s Smart Business program and was connected with Industry Program Manager Jerry Wright who gave David a list of contractors and offered follow-up inspection.

A key piece of this program was that it offered the retrofits at virtually no cost to the customer. This 100 percent rebate-subsidy made Seattle City Light one of the only–if not the only–utility in the country offering full funding for lighting change-outs.

City Light and contractor June Hwang of Energy Management Services arranged an energy audit on the building which sits in the La Mexicana Industrial Park which includes four-blocks of mixed-use businesses.

Brighter fluorescent lighting has helped reduce the company's electric bill by about 50 percent. Photo by Susan K. Godfrey

David had standard eight-foot fluorescent tubing in an old T-12 format with magnetic ballasts (the connections at the end of each fixture). They took out the old bulbs and recycled those at Eco-Lights in South Seattle; then installed two four-foot efficient bulbs and new ballasts by Phillips GE. The new bulbs are brighter and cleaner. That helped reduce the electric bill by about 50 percent. The building skylights also bring in natural light.

David is delighted. It goes along with his investment in his new Energy Star-rated Presstek production equipment. Though a substantial investment for Graphics Plus, the new digital prep equipment is efficient, fast, provides top quality plate output and is chemical free. “You have to change to survive,” David says. So, getting the help from City Light to reduce his energy bills further while improving the quality of lighting in his shop is a nice boost for the company and its conservation efforts.

When word about David’s improvements, especially the lighting program, got around to his neighboring businesses, other large businesses became interested.

La Mexicana Operations Manager Bill Frye and owner Keith Bloxham decided that retrofitting the whole complex would be a smart move. Hwang’s crew from Energy Management Services moved in and were able to complete replacing about 500 lights in only about five days.

Because of its great popularity, City Light Spokesman Scott Thomsen says the Conservation Resources program will continue the Quick Lighting Upgrade Initiative, although perhaps at a reduced level. He said it’s a matter of evaluating how the resources are used, comparing costs to benefits, and prioritizing those. Then they will provide rebates and subsidies at an appropriate level.

The fact is, he said, there will be increased demand for power in this area due to increased population using electricity not just for heat and light, but for fancy appliances such as big-screen televisions. Even use of electric vehicles will put more demand on the grid.

Conservation is a crucial component of City Light’s plans for meeting this need. It’s a lot cheaper and much better on the environment to help businesses and other customers conserve energy than to build new power plants. City Light is in year two of a five-year plan to double the amount of energy conserved. Thomsen said that early on, when their subsidies were smaller, they realized they weren’t reaching all small businesses. They were able to move the 100% rebate program forward by emphasizing its ability to reach small business customers while also contributing to new jobs.

Seattle can point to this success story with pride and as an example of how a municipal utility can make a huge impact in its electrical consumption. Case studies of other small businesses that used the City Light program to reduce their energy costs are on the Seattle City Light web site. Details of the conservation program can be found in City Light’s 2008 Annual Report and Environment Report.

The future’s looking brighter–several neighborhoods at a time.

Be sure to check out Graphics Plus online and to learn more about greening your business, contact the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability at: www.nbis.org.

I have a small business, I mean, really small. No partners, boards, employees, no office, just me. It is like the “atom” of the business universe, unable to be further reduced, split or simplified. It serves its purpose of providing my economic livelihood, with a simplistic ease. As with any business, the dollars and cents of it flow through a bank, my clearinghouse for income generated by my little enterprising atom. In technical terms I am a sole proprietor, cash accounting, a minimalist of capitalism. My simplistic approach to my business extended to banking, just the basics–a checking account to move dollars to and fro, with a savings account to accumulate the occasional bounty. All is handed over to a very gifted and thorough accountant. Credit was in the form of a credit card. The credit card is where my simple world became a lot more complicated. I have had credit cards from an early age. It took me till after college to truly understand the advantages and consequences of having credit and using it wisely. Mortgages, loans, and the other credit depending activities have been relatively painless to obtain despite being self-employed in the arts.

Then the banking crisis hit last year. I watched CNN and a host of others explain over and over the credit crisis we were going through. I heard what they were saying, but had no direct tangible evidence of the world of banksters and billions moving about like galaxies of which my atom was a smallest part, seemingly unaffected, until I went to buy a fancy new hard drive at my favorite retailer. Card declined is what Les said. My atom was about to have a bumpy ride through the universe.

The next call was with the bank, Wells Fargo. Four phone transfers and about an hour later I learned a new term, underutilization. It sounds like I am not using my credit card enough, but it really means that the bank is not seeing enough of a profit from my atoms credit activities. I was told the decision was final and that I was welcome to re-apply for a credit card. Surely this was some sort of glitch or error. I had used that card, paying off the balance every few months, occasionally using half the available balance, but sometimes not using it at all, and never late or over balance. My atom takes little to function. This was not what the bank wanted. I need to speak to someone in person, explain the situation, review my years of bank records, show them how happy and productive my little atom has been. I went to the local Wells Fargo Branch, with a plan. First I would request to close my accounts, to get their attention, and it did. I sat in a chair explained the situation to a young, professional banker, the reason for my unhappiness and pointed out the various qualities of my atom. He sympathized, and sincerely showed frustration over my account-closed situation, but could do nothing, except take it to a higher power, like a Cardinal of Disputes. I felt optimistic in the review of my case. I gave them til the following Monday to resolve the issue with my atoms’ credit card. I also gave the young banker another option, instead of closing my account, just cut the high credit limit they have given me back to my original credit amount, thus improving my utilization of balance verses available balance. Didn’t seem to take the Cardinal very long to decide…no. Back in the car and back to the Wells Fargo, I closed the accounts.

Chase Bank is where I had some of my personal accounts and on occasion they have solicited my business accounts, somebody wants my atom in their galaxy, feels good to be wanted. The fanfare for a new business account at Chase is full of choices and options, advantages and privileges and rewards, all explained with graphics and smiles. It started to remind me of buying a car or talking to an insurance or real estate agent, did they really want to help or just assimilate my atom? I explained what had happened over at Wells Fargo, and that I was looking for something elementally simple, checking, saving, and a credit card with a reasonable limit similar to what I originally had with Wells Fargo before they had upped it into the utilizationsphere. The young banker had bank speak down, “we will do our best to serve your needs”, “we want your business.” He stopped short of saying anything about the credit card, other than the need to fill out the application. Decisions, it seems are to be made not in the branch, but further up the banking food chain. I left with my temporary checks, fancy folder, pages of agreements, and the hope that soon, my atom would have its credit card back.

A week later I sat at the counter in my condo sorting the days mail. It was here, my shiny new credit card for my atom, not exactly. My new credit card had a limit of only $1,000.00, twenty-four percent interest, and was not a business card but another personal credit card. I decided the banking crisis was now trying to split my atom. I also received a letter from Wells Fargo informing me that they had cancelled my credit card, how timely.

What next for my atom? How can I get credit for my business when two, too-big-to-fail, banks said no? Several independent things seemed to line up for my answer. My accountant told me to look at non-profit banks, or credit unions. Huffington Post reported on the “Move your Money” movement. Basically, don’t put your money in big, too-big-to-fail, banks, but local banks and credit unions. It was time for my atom to take charge.

Call it providence, luck, or coincidence…the defunct taco place on the corner had morphed into a BECU (Boeing Employee Credit Union). It is an entirely different banking experience, and happily I felt I was never being sold anything. This is just what I needed, business checking and savings, and a credit card. Two weeks later I had all three in my hand, including a credit card with a reasonable interest and limits. My atom does have a place in the universe.

Bob Pennington is a freelance photographer and frequent contributor to Ecozome and Rhizome Images.
Photographs copyright Robert J. Pennington.

Last Thursday, January 21st, a panel of business leaders spoke at Antioch University to a full room of entrepreneurs, students, faculty and members of the business community. Each gave a great presentation on how their company is working to create social and environmental benefits through innovative practices.

NBIS presented the program as part of Antioch University’s Center for Creative Change series on Global Issues and Perspectives. Karl Ostrom, Co-director of the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS) moderated the discussion with Seattle-based executives from a variety of businesses with global footprints.

David Basson, CEO of Greensource Organic Clothing

Valerie Bone, Director of Quality/Corporate Social Responsibility, PMI

David Okrent, Brand Director for Environment for Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Dennis Gawlik, Faculty Member at Bainbridge Graduate Institute and Director of Purchasing Services for the University of Washington

After the presentations the panel joined in a discussion on what sustainability means to each of them. Questions were taken from an enthusiastic audience, and Antioch was pleased to see so many people stick around afterwards to converse with the speakers. It just makes you realize it’s how we harness people energy that will make the business world a better place.