ISA Suppiers and Distributors Conference

The ISA held its 3rd annual Suppliers and Distributors Conference last month in Bloomingdale, IL. The purpose of this event is for manufactures and distributors to get together and discuss industry related topics.

As you can imagine, the economy was the topic of many discussions and presentations. Green was also discussed and certainly stirred up some interesting conversations.

Unfortunately I think that with the economy the way it has been for the first two quarters this year, many people of the distribution and supply side are not as focused on green or environmental issues as one would like. The lack of enthusiasm toward these initiatives was disappointing, but on the positive side, those of us that are trying to push the green envelope gained some insight what others in the industry thought.

Most people are really uninformed about what green means and what it has to do with the sign industry. Many people are not very familiar with what is going on in the design community and in the building industry - the things that are going on around us that ultimately impact our businesses. At Nova we have been trying to get people to understand that signage is part of a bigger entity and that outside forces ultimately impacts us.

I believe there is hope for significant change in the material and processes that define the sign industry but it will take a committed effort to get it done. Industry events such as the Supplier/Distributors conference are valuable ways to spend time with peers and discuss real topics that are occurring. These are the types of events that help push people and let's them see what other around them are successfully doing.

The ISA along with the SEGD have a lot of influence with their members. Industries look to the trade organizations for leadership and direction into where the industry is going. Both the ISA and SEGD have taken steps towards promoting environmental efforts and need to continually lead the way for their members by providing relevant resources and information while working together to ensure that the design, fabrication and manufactures are all working together towards the same end goal.

Green Buzz Webinar

By the Numbers: Greening Your Business Operations July 22, 2009 - 11am ET

In this 50-minute session, sponsored by IBM, Joel Makower will join four industry leaders to discuss how companies are putting analytical tools to work as a competitive advantage in addressing environmental challenges, from waste reduction and energy efficiency to strategies for reducing greenhouse gases, toxic emissions, and water use.

The webinar takes place live on Wednesday, July 22 at 11am Eastern Time; follow this link to sign up:

http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102645310005&s=71063&e=001O3Rs2xY8NOWmtgDOmF430Z5IRuRuaW1KMCrg8f7n1D5xQTw7ptATIeOrhwMfLUuwnj5XSF_fk1p2dJwzUJTVqt70opyc4C5V7ZFlauvWLE-tQ3iQn4YCRWivn304lPU_ZXE4R0e7f_FX3EJlCI6f84haL9KABWRJCzvitVH19aQA7T8h-bDn6fTnNISrtvbNzq-I2KXvPgQ=

SEGD Green Resource Site

Last week the SEGD Green Committee met to discuss the long awaited SEGD Green Resource Site. The site will be part of the SEGD website and will have a great deal of information relating to green design, materials and methodology.

The Green Resource Site is part of the overall green education program the SEGD is launching and will coincide with several workshops, teleconferences, magazine articles and white papers. In The Green Resource Site you will find things like

- Case studies

- Bibliography of books, websites, organizations, certifications

- Glossary of terms

- Wiki

- White Papers

- The Complete Audit

I will be posting updates with related information as we move through the remainder of the year. The Green Resource Site is scheduled to go live early this fall. Stay tuned and remember that if you have something to share, please don't hesitate!

Top 100 Green Design Firms

This month ENR has published a list of The Top 100 Green Design Firms in the US. The group generated $2.85 billion dollars in revenue in 2008, an increase of 63.9% over $1.74 billion in 2007. This number is based on the revenue generated for projects actively seeking third-party certification from groups like USGBC.

Follow this link to the news story in Architectural Record. There are links to an article describing the Top 100 on the ENR website. There is also the list of the top 100 and a few interesting comments on the Top 100 that are worth taking a look at.

TOP 20

1. HOK, St. Louis, Mo.
2. URS Corp., San Francisco, Calif.
3. Perkins+Will, Chicago, Ill.
4. AECOM Technology Corp., Los Angeles, Calif.
5. HKS Inc., Dallas, Texas
6. Gensler, San Francisco, Calif.
7. HDR, Omaha, Neb.
8. Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects LLP, Portland, Ore.
9. Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., Raleigh, N.C.
10. Tetra Tech Inc., Pasadena, Calif.
11. LPA Inc., Irvine, Calif.
12. Perkins Eastman, New York, N.Y.
13. SmithGroup Inc., Detroit, Mich.
14. Callison, Seattle, Wash.
15. KlingStubbins, Philadelphia, Pa.
16. Corgan Associates Inc., Dallas, Texas
17. RMJM, New York, N.Y.
18. Anshen+Allen Architects, San Francisco, Calif.
19. RTKL Associates Inc., Baltimore, Md.
20. Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, Mo.

Paper Stone

There are two series of recycled paper-based PaperStone products: 1) 'Original', which is made from 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard and 2) 'Certified',is made from 100% post-consumer standard office paper. It has been certified through the Smartwood program of the Rainforest Alliance to meet FSC standards.

PANEL SIZE
The standard PaperStone panel is 60" x 144". Other panel sizes are available.

PANEL THICKNESS
PaperStone panels are available in 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4" thicknesses.

Click here for the Paper Stone Information Guide

The “Six Sins of Greenwashing”

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. published a 'Green Paper' in November 2007 titled The “Six Sins of Greenwashing”.

Most of us are aware of all the greenwashing that is occurring across all industry today in light of the growing demand for environmentally conscious products. Terra Choice conducted a survey of big box stores and identified over 1,000 products making over 1,700 environmental claims. They found six consistent misleading patterns - The "Six Sins of Greenwashing"

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off - Is the "green" claim restricted to just one, or a narrow set of environmental issue(s)?

2. Sin of No Proof - Does the claim help me find more information and evidence?

3. Sin of Vagueness - Is the environmental and scientific meaning of the claim specific and self-evident? If not, is the specific meaning given?

4. Sin of Irrelevance - Could all of the other products in this category make the same claim?

5. Sin of Fibbing - When I check up on it, is the claim true?

6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils - Is the claim trying to make consumers feel "green" about a product category that is of questionable environmental benefit?

This paper is a very interesting read and does a good job classifying many of the things we often see in the market place. The paper also offers insight into how to market your product correctly and offers many resources and links.

CLICK HERE to view The "Six Sins of Greenwashing"