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The Bottom Line NewsletterSummer 2000
World Renowned Strategic Planning Consultant To Highlight BEA Annual Conference in NovemberEdward D. Barlow, Jr. an internationally renowned futurist whose client lists includes some of the world's foremost corporations will be both the keynote speaker and conference moderator at the annual Business Environmental Alliance conference on November 9, 2000 at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. The focus of the conference will be on future business trends in Sonoma County, and how the environment will play a key role in what is shaping up to Participants will learn successful techniques necessary to maintain or increase profitability in this newly emerging economy. As part of his keynote presentation entitled Journey through the 21st Century: Trends and Issues effecting Business, Environmental and Lifestyle Futures, Barlow will provide a macro=view of trends and issues related to the environment and lifestyles. He will relate how these issues are related to consumer attitudes and areas of business-social responsibilities. Edward D. Barlow, Jr. business is working with people, organizations, and communities to help them prepare for tomorrow's economy. Since joining the speaking circuit in 1987, he has delivered more than 1,00 presentations and is recognized for his knowledge and versatility in relating the influences of a changing world to various industries, organizations, and professions. He holds a masters degree in management from the University of Notre Dame, is a faculty member in University of San Francisco School of Education, and has held executive positions in business, healthcare, and education. A sought-after speaker, think-tank facilitator, strategic planning consultant, Barlow travels extensively and works with industry representation from manufacturing, financial services, travel and tourism, government, education, building and construction, community and economic development. His client list includes Lockheed Martin, AT&T, Marriott Int'l, IBM, Pepsi, Price Waterhouse, Honeywell, Motorola, U.S.Dept. of Defense Michigan Dept. of Education, Frito-Lay, American Bar Assn., Mobil Oil Corp., Mortgage Insurance Co. of America, Fed. Reserve Bank, Baer, Banta Publishing, and Abbot Labs. Edward D. Barlow, Jr. is one of the few great speakers able to deliver meaningful information about the future in a dynamic and entertaining manner. He captivates audiences with his intuitive and well-studied perspective concerning what lies ahead. His organized, thought-provoking, and dynamic presentations build his reputation as one of America's top futurists, producing award-winning results. You will long remember his power-packed message! Many saw Barlow in action at a Marin conference a couple of years ago: Those who attended are excited to hear that Mr. Barlow will be back in the North Bay this November. Much like that event, the BEA Conference will take an interactive approach to forming ideas on how to approach the coming consumer-driven marketplace. Following an intriguing panel discussion incorporating presentations from a number of economic sectors, participants will be divided into pre-designated groups, each charged with forming a solution to an environmental obstacle affecting profitability in the North Bay Marketplace. Each group will have the opportunity to share its results with the conference participants, providing strategies to be used by area businesses in the coming years. For more information on the conference agenda which already includes a presentation from computer-chip powerhouse Intel Corp., bookmark the BEA web site at wwwsonoma-county.org/bea. Conference information will become available by early September. The BEA will also be soliciting sponsors and exhibitors for this event starting in late August. Mark November 9th on your calendar from now. This conference is shaping up to be an event you will not want to miss! Sonoma County Water Agency Warns of Possible Future ShortagesThe Sonoma County Water Agency has alerted County businesses that water supplies can be limited during summer month peak periods over the next several years. Warning that there is a "temporary impairment" in the Agency's water supply transmission system, the Agency is saying that there may be shortages over the next five to ten years, and that businesses should be prepared. "Temporary impairment" means the Water Agency can't deliver the water to its wholesale clients (e.g., cities) because "regulatory restraints and litigation have delayed expansion and improvements to the Agency's existing system." The Agency currently has a "contractual water supply obligation" of 92 million gallons a day (mgd). The current system capacity is 84 mgd, leaving the capacity short by 8 million gallons per day. At issue is a system called Collector No. 6, planned by the Agency, but placed on hold presumably until problems with "regulatory restraints and litigation" are resolved. Agency sources say this becomes a problem during hot summer months. In addition, if no additional conservation measures are taken, it is projected that problems could become severe in two years during peak periods. In fact, as far back as 1996, the Agency transmission system. The Water Agency has recommended a wide range of water conservation measures during "this time of temporary impairment. " Human consumption, sanitation needs and fire protection were given priority usage for available water. The Water Agency is asking that its customers implement voluntary water conservation measures as identified in their respective Water Shortage Contingency Plans. Got Water? Petaluma Finds Out at Recent ConferenceDue to the overwhelming success and popularity of the February business water conservation conference in Santa Rosa, the Business Environmental Alliance (BEA), in cooperation with the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce, the Novato Chamber of Commerce and the Sonoma County Water Agency, was proud to offer another opportunity for businesses to learn about water conserving and profit-making techniques. On March 22, 2000 from 7:30 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. at the Community Center in Petaluma, the BEA hosted a Business Water Conservation Conference entitled Got Water? Conservation has become paramount at the dawn of the 21st century and uncertainty exists about the reliable fresh water supply in the North Bay Area. Businesses in Sonoma and Marin Counties must know that, based on historic increases of usage, an ample supply of water in the next few years is not guaranteed. The current delivery system is reaching capacity in the summer months, with major implications for both residents and businesses in the Counties if usage is not reduced. Enlightened water conservation and reuse practices by business will go a long way towards reducing the County's dependence upon freshwater, and more notably result in major financial savings for businesses. Panelists from a variety of sectors in the Petaluma/Novato area showed how the reuse and conserve water in their new technologies, and how such efforts have improved their bottom line profits. Private and public sector leaders were available to discuss how their water conservation efforts have enhanced their All participants received a simple checklist on how to increase bottom line profits by implementing water-conserving practices. Best Practices Guide Is On-LineThe Straight to the Bottom Line: Environmental Best Practices Guide, pursued by 48 local companies, is now available on line at the Business Environmental Alliance website at www.sonoma-county.org/bea. The Straight to the Bottom Line: Environmental Best Practices Guide high lights financial savings that local businesses have achieved by voluntarily adopting sound environmental measures. The guide is designed to provide the Sonoma County business and agriculture communities with ideas on how to improve bottom line profits while protecting the environment. Using Adobe Acrobat, the virtual guide perfectly mimics its hard-copy cousin. Visitors to bookmark the site or, using the very handy index provided, print only those sections relevant to their business. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, don't worry, you can download it from the website for free. Sonoma County Transit Wins Award!Santa Rosa — The American Lung Association of the Bay Area presented Sonoma County Transit with the prestigious "Clean Air ENVY Award" in Technology for using natural gas fueled vehicles. The transit system was also recognized by State and Federal officials for its continued commitment to improving air quality with its original purchase 16 compress natural gas (CNG) buses and the construction of a CNG fueling facility in 1996. This month, eight more CNG buses have joined the fleet of 56 buses. Another eight buses are due to arrive within the next year. Sonoma County Transit's fueling facility also provides fuel for
natural gas powered school buses from size local school districts."We
are the only transit system in the nine-county San Francisco Bay
Area that operates CNG buses, "says Bryan Albee, Transit Systems
Manager for Sonoma County Transit. Business Environmental Alliance Participates in SEE Green Radio SpotThe Business Environmental Alliance will be participating in several radio spots produced by the SEE Green Program and KSRO Radio AM 1350.The BEA's spots will describe the purpose and focus of the BEA, highlight water saving tips for businesses from the recent Got Water? Conferences, and highlight the efforts of some of the businesses listed in the BEA Best Practices Guide. The SEE Green Environmental Moment message reaches approximately 38,000 households, according to KSRO. The one-minute spots are part of an ongoing "Environmental Moment" which airs weekdays at 6:20 AM and 12:20 in the afternoon on KSRO 1350 AM, and is coordinated by the SEE Green Program. The SEE Green Program is a growing group of over 185 businesses involved in social, environmental, and economic business practices. The Businesses are listed 3 times per year in the SEE Green Directory, which promotes business practices such as recycling and water conservation. SEE Green also hosts Business Mixers, which provide the opportunity for businesses to network and environmental business practices. SEE Green will be hosting an informational session with Senator Wes Chesboro in September regarding resources at the State level which can assist businesses in becoming greener. For more information, call SEE Green at (707) 829-9331. Clover Stornetta Dairy's Sustainable Ag Efforts Used as Model for State wide ProgramClover Stornetta got the attention of the area agri-business community a few years back when it moved four-square into the realm of sustainable agriculture. Refusing to accept milk from cows given the bovine growth hormone which was becoming popular with dairies nationwide, Clover Stornetta determined to take extra steps to adapt in order to meet changing consumer demands. Now, Clover Stornetta has caught the positive eye of State government. The State is establishing a Dairy Quality Assurance Program, largely based on the pioneering work Clover Storetta did.Clover's program is called North Coast Excellence, and establishes purity standards far in excess of all State and Federal standards. The dairy's milk is free of rBST (the controversial growth hormone.) Participating ranches are required to adapt practices that will sustain agriculture. At the same time, participating ranches receive a bonus for their extra efforts. Clover Stornetta CEO Gary Imm, a past president of the Petaluma Chamber, told Petaluma Business that Clover were assured their program was the model for the State efforts. "One of the regulators flat out said "we used your program as a model", Imm said. He said the Clover set up its programs by bringing together regulatory agencies and producers to discuss what needed to be done, and the best way to comply with a substantial, growing list of regulatory constraints on producers. "One problem is that the different agencies might have a different perspective, "Imm said. "Each of them saw the problem from their own angle. We needed to get them to see the big picture." Rather than be adversarial, he said, the regulators said "this is where you have to be in 10 years, and together we all worked out ways to get there." He said that eventually, together they developed a set of criteria that all the regulators agreed to, and the ranchers agreed to observe. The dairy buys its milk from what Imm calls "the 15 most progressive dairymen in the North Bay," who supply about 3,000 gallons of milk a day produced under the higher standards. Clover has now moved into the organic milk market as well, offering milk produced at the St. Anthony dairy on Bodega Highway. Imm said that, in his industry at least, the market is becoming consumer driven. "Consumers are going to demand a certain quality of products, "he said, "and they are going to buy them from the businesses that respond." Sonoma County Now Offers Several Helpful Business Programs
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