Friday, February 19, 2010
Sacramento Business Journal - by Robert Celaschi Correspondent
Green business
Pest killers go green
Companies help customers balance consciences with wallets
In the pest control business, being environmentally friendly doesn't automatically please customers. A lot of customers really want chemical death to rain down on the bugs crawling all over the floor.
"Their instincts say, ‘Go to the truck and get the good stuff,' " said Darren Van Steenwyk, technical director for Clark Pest Control.
But a growing number of customers, especially owners of buildings certified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program run by the U.S. Green Building Council, do care about staying green.
"If the building is LEED platinum and somebody is power-spraying on a weekly basis, that doesn't look good, if nothing else," Van Steenwyk said. Current LEED standards, in fact, score a building partly on its operations and maintenance, and that includes a couple of points for pest management practices.
Clark's S.M.A.R.T. moves...
(S.M.A.R.T. = Sustainable Methods And Responsible Treatments)
Before green was fashionable, Clark was making S.M.A.R.T. choices! Responsible treatment options have presented themselves over the years and Clark has proactively made changes to stayahead of the curve and set a S.M.A.R.T. example for others to follow.
To learn more about Clark Pest Control's Greener approach please click here.