It’s not just about the money, says print shop owner

Monday, June 16, 2008

It’s not just about the money, says print shop owner

Silver Spring company honored for its environmental practices

by Steve Monroe | Staff Writer

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He likes to say his company was ‘‘green before green was cool,” and for his pioneering efforts as an environmentally responsible CEO, Roger Telschow of Ecoprint in Silver Spring has been named the inaugural winner of the Alliance for Workplace Excellence’s ECOLeadership Award.

Telschow will receive his award Thursday when the nonprofit, which recognizes companies in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for exemplary workplace practices, holds its annual awards lunch at the Montgomery County Conference Center in North Bethesda. Others to be honored include companies that won the alliance’s Workplace Excellence and Health &Wellness Trailblazer awards. The Gazette is a sponsor of the awards program.

The new ECOLeadership award recognizes ‘‘visionary employers that are paving the way for environmentally sustainable workplaces. Eco-friendly policies and practices attract talent, increase productivity, reduce costs, improve employee morale and loyalty, and project a strong public image,” according to alliance information. To be considered for the award businesses must complete a comprehensive and rigorous assessment process led by an independent review panel of academics and business professionals.

‘‘We are obviously delighted to be selected,” Telschow said, ‘‘and we feel it’s a sign of the times that awards are being given for other than just financial performance. Our financial performance is good, but as CEO I also consider myself the chief environmental officer and also chief ethical officer.

‘‘What we have done is align our values in every part of our business ... part of that is [being responsible to the] environment, being a good corporate citizen and making sure all of our stakeholders are engaged in that process. That includes our customers, employees, me as the owner, and the community. We want to be an agent for change in our industry that calls us all to a higher standard.”

Telschow, who started his printing business in Washington, D.C., in 1977 and moved it to Silver Spring in 1984, uses non-skinning inks that reduce ink waste, non-toxic wetting agents and less harmful solvents. His printing process is 100 percent carbon neutral - with a net of zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Telschow said that according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, his business became the first ‘‘carbon-neutral” printer in the country, with zero climate impact, having completely offset its carbon dioxide emissions through renewable credits and tree planting. For the last five years, Telschow said, Ecoprint has been 100 percent powered by wind-generated electricity.

Not one to rest on his laurels, impressive though they may be, Telschow is looking ahead.

In an article written for Thursday’s AWE event program, Telschow says, ‘‘What of the future? Maybe a green roof for our plant. We recently installed a new roof membrane on our building, and spent the extra money to make sure it could sustain a vegetated layer on top. Our hope is that we’ll be able to afford the $30,000 to install a green roof at some point in the next several years.”

More information on the awards, including a complete list of companies to be honored Thursday, is available at www.excellenctworkplace.org.