A Message from Chamber President Dennis Goldstrand:

Team helps businesses go green

JANUARY 2009  - The Green Team San Joaquin was established in 2006 to assist businesses with reducing their costs in doing business, while at the same time, reducing their environmental impact.

The Green Team meets on a monthly basis, usually on the second Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. in the Chamber Conference Room. The meeting typically has 50-80 businesses represented, depending on the topic and the speaker.

The Green Team San Joaquin consists of three main programs: Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ), Recycling Energy Air Conservation (REACON) team and the Recycling Expo (REXPO).

There are 35 RMDZs throughout the State of California and they are a program of the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Typically, RMDZ Administrators are located in a Public Works Department of a city or county.

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce is the only chamber in the state that serves as an administrator of an RMDZ. The Chamber’s responsibility is to develop market opportunities for recycled-content materials that are made from materials that in the past went to landfills.

The Recycling Energy Air Conservation team or REACON is the outreach arm of the Green Team San Joaquin. The REACON team typically visits with business owners county-wide to offer a complimentary assessment of energy use, recycling programs, air pollution reduction, office supplies and janitorial services.

The REACON team is comprised of experts that offer green alternatives and services to help the business reduce their costs in doing business. Last year, the REACON team assisted with over 1.9 million Kwh savings with our local businesses. In 2009, the REACON team will start certifying businesses as being green. 

The Recycling Expo or REXPO is an annual event that showcases products made from recycled-content, as well as alternative energy and fuels.

In the past, the REXPO was part of the Annual Ag Expo at the San Joaquin Fairgrounds. This year, the REXPO took the form of the Energy & Clean Air Business Expo and was held at the Grand (soon to be Hilton) Hotel on Dec. 4.

More than 350 people enjoyed 50 green exhibits, panel discussions and a sold-out lunch to find solutions to helping business reduce their costs in doing business. 

I especially want to thank Frank Ferral and Miki Gilbert for putting your Chamber in a leadership role in this initiative and demonstrating how it can be profitable for businesses to be GREEN and assist our members in developing this new and future market.