Whatcom Group Makes Sustainable Connections
"Businesses strive for a Local Living Economy"
By Christopher Key

There is a persistent myth in some business circles that sustainability and profitability are mutually exclusive.  A group of local businesses has coalesced under the banner of Sustainable Connections and put that idea to rest.

Chris Webb of 2020 Engineering was one of the founders of the group about five years ago.

“I was on an odyssey to find a way to make a living that was consistent with my values,” Webb said.

Despite attracting 50-60 people to a number of events, the group lost momentum when some of its members had to put more energy into running their businesses.

Rick Dubrow of A-1 Builders met Michelle Long at a state forum on sustainable business practices.  They discovered a mutual interest in the environment, strong communities, and a “local living economy.”  Their discussions resulted in a renaissance for Sustainable Connections, an influx of new members, and a determination to keep the momentum going.

The dictionary defines sustainable as “…an action or process that can be continued indefinitely.”  That last word is operative.  There is no foreseeable end to the action or process.

Webb says it comes down to long-term versus short-term thinking.

“Over the long haul, a selectively cut forest will yield more than one that is clear-cut,” Webb stated.

There is little doubt that the northwest is learning some painful lessons about sustainability. Formerly abundant salmon species are now threatened or endangered and that resource is renewable.  Businesses that depend on non-renewable resources face a very problematic outlook.

“Businesses that perfect the efficient use of resources,” said Webb, “are ahead of the game in the future.”

According to Sustainable Connections Coordinator, Long, it is not a pie-in-the-sky fantasy.

“We try to help people learn real-world techniques that can move businesses toward sustainable practices,” she says.

That may be why she is signing up new members on a regular basis.  If sustainable practices require unrealistic sacrifices, few businesses will adapt them.  Members of the local organization, farmers, business people, individuals, try to lead by example.  They’re out to prove that while it’s not easy being green, it can be done without sacrificing profitability.

Webb’s firm, 2020 Engineering, focuses on designing sites so as to minimize impact on natural systems.  In some cases, the projects are actually restorative.  The result?

“We are inundated with customers,” Webb said.  “Our growth belies the profitability versus sustainability argument.  We have invested a lot into researching how to incorporate natural systems into our designs and it has paid off in spades.”

The engineering and construction fields have been notably reluctant to adopt sustainable practices.  Dubrow, whose business card proclaims him to be “First Hammer” at A-1, says that things are beginning to change.

“Some major contractors are now contacting us to learn about sustainability,” he said.  “It’s all about making choices.”

For example, Dubrow could purchase a new 2x4 stud for a construction project.  Or he could buy a used one at the RE Store, a keystone member of Sustainable Connections.  If he buys a used one, someone gets a job pulling nails out of it.  The emphasis, thereby, is on labor rather than on materials.  It ends up costing the same.

“Sustainability,” said Dubrow, “doesn’t threaten jobs, it creates them”.

Recycling, obviously, is a major part of such an operation.  Dubrow called on Rodd Pemble of Sanitary Services, Inc., to help him setup his recycling operation.  SSI is also a Sustainable Connections member.

When A-1 remodeled their Northwest Avenue office and showroom, they called in Sustainable Connections member Scott Mauermann of Laurel Landscaping to design and install low-maintenance Xeriscaping.

Mauermann is very concerned about water quality and the effect poor landscaping choices can have upon it.  He makes an effort to use native materials that need little water or fertilizer and seeks creative solutions to drainage problems.

“I believe in joint resourcing and supporting local small business people,” said Mauermann.

This type of networking and business-to-business assistance is what makes the organization work.

“Trash,” said Dubrow,”becomes a profit center and there is no such thing as waste.”

Traditionally, a contractor approaching a kitchen remodel would tear all the old stuff out and haul it to the dump.  The customer, of course, would be charged for this service.  Instead, Dubrow calls in the RE Store, which dismantles and removes the old material at no charge to the customer.  Jobs are created, the material is recycled, and Dubrow can underbid his competitors.  Plus, the customer gets a tax credit and lots of warm fuzzies.

Sustainable Connections does not stand-alone.  It is affiliated with a national organization called the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).  According to BALLE, a local living economy “…reflects the same dynamics that we observe in robust, resilient, and stable ecosystems in nature.”  It encourages “…small to medium sized privately held businesses working cooperatively to serve the local community.”

That local connection is vital to the organization.  Members are encouraged to do business with each other and to purchase locally whenever possible.  Sustainable Connections offers educational, networking, and referral services to help members accomplish that goal.

Emphasis on the community is what has attracted members like the City of Bellingham, the Downtown Renaissance Network and the Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities.  It also attracted Danne Neill of the Muljat Group.  She offers yet another argument for sustainability: “the ground we stand on.”

“If we don’t have a healthy environment,” Neill says, “we don’t have a business. People want to come here because of the quality of life.  Growth is inevitable, but we need to think about it and do it well.”

She freely admits her views are not widely shared in her industry.

“I reactivated my license three years ago because it offered the opportunity for me to speak differently,” said Neill.

It seems to work. She claims a great client base and constant referrals.

“People,” she said, “are looking for a venue to support.”

Jeff Daffron of Quicksilver Photo Lab is a new member of Sustainable Connections, but not new to their practices.

“I’ve always tried to be as clean as it is possible for a photo lab to be,” Daffron said.  “I like the idea that being green can go hand-in-hand with profitability.”

He should know.  He’s been doing it for 15 years and finds that his green reputation brings in quite a few customers.

Daffron uses recycled paper products, energy-efficient lighting, and does business locally whenever possible.  But he carries his commitment a lot further.

Quicksilver recycles plastic and metal film cans and spools. They offer recycling for throwaway cameras and camera batteries.  They remove toxic silver from their chemicals before recycling. They even installed a flow meter on their water tap to insure they use no more than absolutely necessary.  There’s a small piece of film called the leader, which is cut off before processing. Even that is recycled.

“It’s important,” Daffron says, “to think in terms of long-term effects rather than short-term profits.  Making money today, then cleaning up tomorrow is just not profitable in the long run.  Doing it right the first time is less expensive than cleaning up.”

“We live in a beautiful corner of the world,” proclaims the Sustainable Connections brochure.  “Yet our region has significant pressures including population growth, development, and economic stagnation.  We believe this is a critical time for the Fourth Corner.  Great communities don’t just happen, they are consciously created.  It is up to us to make conscious decisions.”