Green Colorado 2014: Financial/Consulting/Professional Services

Financial/Consulting/Professional Services

Alpine Bank

Financial services provider

Glenwood Springs

            Of Alpine Bank’s 37 branches, the bank owns and manages 25, which were part of the Green the Banks by 2012, which set energy reduction goals against a 2006 baseline. By 2012 the locations had a 16 percent reduction in energy use, 35 percent reduction in paper use, 39 percent reduction in water use, and 100 percent reduction in fleet fuel. Alpine Bank eliminated couriers in 2010, and the bulk of documents are now transmitted electronically.

            In April Alpine Bank opened its first Denver location at Union Station, and will buy 80 solar panels to offset 85 percent of the estimated energy use in the branch. alpinebank.com

Brendle Group

Consulting firm

Fort Collins

Brendle Group is a sustainability consulting firm that focuses on engineering and strategic planning. Clients range from government agencies to ski areas to industry groups. The firm worked with New Belgium Brewing to complete its first corporate Sustainability Management System (SMS).

Three years ago Brendle Group moved into its new, LEED Gold building. Employees volunteer with area groups such as Trees, Water and People (TWP), Colorado WaterWise (CWW), and the Sustainable Living Association (SLA).

Brendle Group won the Water Catcher award from Fort Collins Utilities for its conservation, including: reducing use, generating supply on-site by harvesting rainwater, and better managing the water quality impacts associated with storm water runoff. brendlegroup.com

Greenmont Capital Partners

Investments

Boulder

            Greenmont Capital Partners is an investment fund that focuses on early stage companies in the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) category. The firm is seeking to fund companies that meet criteria, such producing branded consumer products, with trailing revenue of $3 million or more, privately held, based in the U.S., and seeking equity investment of $1 million to $5 million. Current investments include Madhava Natural Sweeteners, Door to Door Organics, EcoSmart pesticides and Uncle Matt’s Organic juices. greenmontcapital.com

YR&G

Consulting firm

Denver

           YR&G is a Denver-based consulting firm providing strategic and technical sustainability services. It chose its office locations for their urban, transit-oriented access. Public transportation and bike share programs are subsidized for all employees, and 100 percent of YR&G staff currently commutes to work by walking, biking or bus between three and five days a week. Each office also keeps an “office bike” available for local transportation.

“Our alternative transportation efforts save an estimated 1.8 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year,” says Josh Radoff, co-founder and principal. “We are virtually a zero-waste office, composting or recycling 90 percent of our waste.”

The firm also installed a NEST, a smart thermostat, to help manage energy use.

YR&G works with clients on energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and business/organizational management, directly supporting hundreds of LEED projects.

yrgxyz.com

First Affirmative Financial Network

Investment advisor

Colorado Springs

               First Affirmative Financial Network offers investment services to people who want to invest in a socially conscious fashion. The firm hosts an annual SRI Conference, concentrated on Sustainable, Responsible, Impact investing at the Broadmoor, and is designed for investment professionals as well as institutional and high net worth investors. “Our clients want their money to make money and to create a better world,” says Steve Schueth, president of First Affirmative. firstaffirmative.com

Moye White

Law firm

Denver

The downtown Denver firm provides free RTD EcoPass cards to employees, and is working with its landlord, 16 Market Square to prepare the building for LEED certification. “It’s a generally very high performing building, but not with LEED standards in mind, so they are nudging it up there,” Sekich says.

The law firm is greening its space with energy efficiency improvements, water efficiency and waste reduction programs. In January the firm became a certified B Corporation. moyewhite.com