Here’s part of the press release. The Biltmore Estate and FLS Energy are the local companies that are finalists for awards:
Sustainable North Carolina (SNC) has announced finalists for its 7th annual Sustainable North Carolina Awards. Sixteen organizations that have demonstrated leadership in integrating social responsibility and environmental stewardship into successful business strategies will be recognized. A gala dinner banquet and awards ceremony emceed by Chris William, host of Carolina Business review, will be held on Monday, November 10th, at the Raleigh Convention Center. Noted author and management strategist, Peter Senge, will deliver the keynote address.
Attendees will have an opportunity to meet the finalists at a reception prior to the awards ceremony. In addition, the NC Sustainable Business Council (NCSBC), a member-led initiative of SNC, will hold its semi-annual forum earlier in the day in conjunction with the awards program. Business managers and experts will discuss the real-world challenges and lessons learned implementing sustainable practices. These prestigious events attract a wide variety of leaders from business, government, non-profits and academia from across the state.
Along with the Sustainable North Carolina Awards and NCSBC Forum, SNC is partnering with the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and Seven-Star Events to produce the Sustainable Solutions Expo (Nov. 9-11) at the Raleigh Convention Center. The SS Expo is a first-of-its-kind tradeshow for providers of environmentally and socially responsible products and services to reach a targeted audience of more than 1800 institutional and business decision makers.
“In today’s economy, it is imperative that organizations understand the new conditions we’re facing and develop integrated strategies for creating long term value. Business-as-usual thinking is a dead end,” said Katy Ansardi, president of Sustainable North Carolina. “The SNC Awards showcase the people and organizations here in North Carolina who are taking action to create a livable and prosperous future.”
An independent judging panel has selected three finalists for each of four categories of awards, including three categories for businesses and one for government, nonprofit & academic organizations. Applicants are scored on criteria including measurable results, commitment of the organization’s leadership, innovation, and the potential for broader positive impact in the state and beyond. Winners in each category will be announced at the ceremony.
The Triple Bottom Line Award recognizes initiatives by for-profit businesses that demonstrate the successful integration of all three aspects of sustainability – social, environmental and economic. The finalists are The Biltmore Company (Asheville), Burt’s Bees (Morrisville) and Southern Energy Management (Raleigh).
The Innovation Award recognizes initiatives by for-profit businesses that have demonstrated new cutting edge technologies or business models that address societal and/or environmental issues in a meaningful way. The finalists are Cadmus Whitehall Group (Charlotte), Proximity Hotel (Greensboro) and Sencera (Charlotte).
The Entrepreneurship Award recognizes small for-profit and for-benefit businesses that have demonstrated a positive impact on their employees, community and environment. Finalists are FLS Energy (Asheville), Green Planet Catering (Raleigh) and Lindsey Landscape (Apex).