Green Business

I’m writing today from a sustainable business conference at Epic Systems in Verona, Wis. Although I carpooled, I daresay my carbon footprint will be unfortunately large today, since we got lost on the way.

Bad directions aside, this place is an environmental wunderkind. The building itself uses geothermal energy and was designed to last. The environmental impact of the conference has also been minimized. Information is distributed on flash drives instead of paper, Alliant Energy donated stainless steel water bottles and the lunch has been locally sourced.

It’s great to see that a local business is pioneering sustainable business mechanisms and showing that going green is more than an altruistic gesture – it makes sense for their bottom line, the holy grail of the business world.

What really attracts me to Epic, though, is not its focus on sustainability or its generosity toward the University of Wisconsin. It’s the corporate tree house made with salvaged and leftover construction materials – now that is original.