Posts Tagged ‘green’

Keeping East Tennessee Construction Projects in the Green

Friday, April 20th, 2012

Alcoa, Tenn. — With Earth Day on April 22 and the East Tennessee economy gradually improving, many home and business owners are seeking to make their new building projects in 2012 and beyond greener but still affordable.

“Many people automatically but mistakenly think that all things green and sustainable are more expensive and out-of-reach for them, particularly when it comes to building construction,” said John McMillan, vice president of Marketing for Alcoa, Tennessee-based Hickory Construction, Inc.

According to McMillan, energy-efficient building materials and processes should always be considered as part of any new building project, especially those that ease the demand for electric energy produced by fossil fuels and reduce utility bills for the building owner.

“There are many eco-friendly building products and construction methods that are very competitive in cost to traditional ones, and some actually save significant money, particularly over time in expenses like heating, cooling and water use,” McMillan said.

Green construction includes energy-efficient basics such as proper insulation, house wraps and site preparation. Hickory also considers the value of durable products that offer low maintenance for the client and less impact on the planet.

“Hickory Construction has practiced many elements of ‘green construction’ for more than 30 years, especially when it comes to the building envelope, the area where energy efficiency is impacted most,” McMillan said.

Some other green products and areas of construction planning include:
• Geothermal heating and cooling systems (using ground source heat pumps to centrally heat and cool a building)
• Automated lighting controls and use of natural light
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures
• Fuel-efficient vehicle parking on business properties
• Bicycle racks on site
• Recycling of construction debris
• Regional and recycled building materials
• Indoor air quality enhancements (utilizing low VOC carpets, paints and other materials)

“For some materials that do require a higher initial investment, customers should consider longer-term returns,” McMillan said. “For example, slate roofing is more expensive, but it easily outlives other roofing materials and will reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing process and the impact on landfills.”

ABOUT HICKORY CONSTRUCTION:
Hickory Construction, Inc., is a licensed general contractor headquartered in Alcoa, Tenn., offering services for commercial, industrial and residential projects. For more information, visit: http://www.hickoryconstruction.com.

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Wading through the green waters of environmental responsibility

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

By Tyra Haag

As the late Michael Jackson instructed us to “Heal the world—make it a better place,” he may not have realized how complicated that task could be—for consumers and businesses alike.

With jargon like greening, energy efficiency, energy conservation, eco-friendly, sustainable, carbon-footprint and greenwashing (just to name a few), it’s no wonder most folks aren’t sure where to start when it comes to saving Mother Earth.

With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, every social media site and Internet browser was chock-full of articles related to these very topics.

Some of the most intriguing articles I read included: “What Companies Need to Know Before Launching a Green PR Campaign,” “The History of Earth Day Plus How You Can Get Involved” and “Public Relations and Green.”  

As is sometimes the case with annual events, monthly holidays or days of the year devoted to anything under the sun, core messages can get lost in the mix. 

Consulting clients on how to keep their messages clear and their business objectives transparent, including sustainability efforts, are just some of the ways public relations practitioners guide their clients on how to be visibly and honestly impactful—not just in the interim, but for a long time to come.

Of course, Kermit the frog said it best when he sang, “It’s not easy being green.” But then again, everyone must start somewhere—professionally and personally.

To read more “In the Profession” blogs posts regarding environmental fodder, check out: Mary Beth West’s discussion on the “PR Impact of Externalities,” – whether environmental or not, and how the voice of public relations can enable organizations to balance their business objectives with serving the public good.

Similarly, last December I wrote about how corporate social responsibility makes a difference and included thoughts from Scripps Networks President John Lansing during a recent PRSA meeting. His message still rings true today—keeping the community around you healthy is the true return on investment.

Until then, here’s to wading through the green waters of environmental responsibility.

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Shelton Helps Clients Keep it Real on Sustainability

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

By Mary Beth West

With April 22 as Earth Day and the green of spring abounding here in East Tennessee, “In the Profession” will focus this month on sustainability as an organizational ethic and how green issues are impacting companies’ reputations.

For the past number of years, we’ve been fortunate to count among our close colleagues Knoxville-based advertising agency Shelton Group, led by entrepreneur and green strategy guru Suzanne Shelton.  Suzanne has spearheaded Shelton Group’s focus on understanding the national consumer mindset on sustainability and helping clients motivate mainstream consumers to make sustainable choices.

Tomorrow (April 9), Shelton Group will release Eco Pulse 2010, one of several annual Shelton Group proprietary studies, which will uncover “American consumer perceptions, drivers and knowledge issues for green products.” 

One of the major themes Shelton Group identified years ago and relentlessly hammers home to its clients nationwide is the issue of making sustainability real and authentic as an organizational value – as opposed to touting green messages as the flavor of the moment. 

From a public relations standpoint, that counsel is critical for all organizations to heed – particularly those in consumer products or with consumer stakeholders.  As Suzanne routinely points out, there is indeed something worse than a company failing to craft a strong sustainability message – and that’s crafting a false one.  Consumers get wise to phony green claims with even a whiff of contrivance. 

And that’s good.  It forces companies to get real about what they want to stand for on sustainability, both philosophically and in genuine practice.  Complete alignment of organizational messages with motivations makes for the best in public relations outcomes.  We tip our hats to Shelton for preaching good gospel on that front.

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