2/20/13 NEWS - 2013 Sustainable Quality Awards Winners Announced

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For Immediate Release: Contact: Shannon.Parry@smgov.net (310) 458-2227

2013 Sustainable Quality Awards Winners Announced

Luncheon to Feature Ed Begley, Jr. and California State Senator Sheila Kuehl

Santa Monica, CA, February 12, 2013 - The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce,Sustainable Works and the City of Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability and theEnvironment, are pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Sustainable Quality Awards. The Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) recognize businesses in Santa Monica that havemade significant achievements in the areas of sustainable economic development, socialresponsibility and stewardship of the natural environment. The 2013 Awards Luncheon on March 13th will honor this year's winners and will celebratethe 100+ businesses honored since the SQA launched in 1995. The event will featurespecial appearances by Ed Begley Jr. and California State Senator Sheila Kuehl. "We are thrilled to highlight so many great businesses this year" says Laurel Rosen,President of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. "These awards are a great way forus to honor those who have a commitment to social responsibility, local economy, and theenvironment which is such an important part of our community." This year, the Sustainable Quality Awards Grand Prize is awarded to businesses forcombined excellence in three areas: economic development, social responsibility, andstewardship of the natural environment. "Excellence" awards are given to outstandingachievements in any one of the three areas.

The esteemed winners for 2013 are:

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2/20/13 NEWS - 2013 Sustainable Quality Awards Winners Announced

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SQA Grand Prize WinnersThe Santa Monica Convention & Visitors BureauTiato & An Cateringyogitoes

SQA Excellence Winners The AmbroseBru's WiffleCentral ParkingHGA Architects and EngineersHostelling International - LA/Santa MonicaPayrollCentric Santa Monica Pier AquariumSanta Monica PlaceThree Squares Inc.

"Reaching the 100+ awards milestone is a remarkable achievement for our community. Wecongratulate the past and current winners on their exemplary leadership," says ShannonParry, Assistant Director for the Office of Sustainability and the Environment for the City ofSanta Monica. Celebrating its 18th year, the 2013 Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) is pleased toannounce three SQA Grand Prize winners and nine winners in the Excellence categories: Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau SQA Grand PrizeSanta Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) is a non-profit organization dedicatedto promoting Santa Monica as a travel destination. SMCVB supports Santa Monica'shospitality workforce by offering free customer service training and recently launched acitywide customer service recognition program called The Thelma Parks Tourism SpiritAward. A founding partner of the Santa Monica Green Business Certification Program, SMCVBencourages local hospitality businesses to get certified as well. SMCVB's environmentalpolicies include energy efficiency, natural lighting, environmentally preferable purchasing andwalking or biking for local errands. SMCVB also encourages visitors to go car-free byproviding biketineraries and green transportation guidance. Tiato & An Catering SQA Grand PrizeTiato & An Catering offers eco-chic dining, a retail market and catering services. They hirelocally and utilize sustainable goods. The company promotes employee wellness andprofessional development by providing tuition assistance, wellness discounts, team buildingand internal training opportunities. Located in a LEED certified building and certified as a Santa Monica Green Business, Tiatogoes above and beyond for resource efficiency and environmental purchasing. Therestaurant hosts biodynamic and organically grown wine tasting, recycles used kitchen oilinto hand soap for their restrooms and integrates environmental practices through training.This February, Tiato is partnering with Carbonfund.org to donate one tree for two cocktailsordered to honor the month of LOVE. yogitoes

2/20/13 NEWS - 2013 Sustainable Quality Awards Winners Announced

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SQA Grand Prizeyogitoes is a creative yoga products company making sustainable yoga tools that integrateneed with design. The business offers products made with recycled content and interactswith the community through their Experience Lab, providing a retail space and a venue tohost special events supporting environmental and wellness efforts.

Team members have a voice on establishing partnerships with other companies; they alsoenjoy flexible schedules and many strong social benefits. yogitoes donates to a wide rangeof programs including the Santa Monica-based 5 Gyres Institute and San Quentin prisonersyoga and meditation programs.

The Ambrose Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural EnvironmentThe Ambrose offers a touch of holistic hospitality by blending upscale tranquility withaffordable luxury and low impact hotel practices. For guests, they provide non-toxic rooms,sustainable and organic cuisine and bike rentals; for employees they provide bike storageand showers, preferred parking for hybrid vehicles and complementary bus passes. TheAmbrose uses a preferred list of vendors that comply with their sustainable businesspolicies. The Ambrose touts a number of recognitions: the hotel was the first pilot Santa MonicaGreen Certified Hotel in 2006; they are an ENERGY STAR certified facility, a member of theGreen Hotels Association, and the first US hotel to receive LEED for Existing Buildings SilverCertification. Bru's Wiffle - A Waffle Joint Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural EnvironmentBru's Wiffle is a cozy, bright yellow Waffle Joint where everything is made from scratch,using only the freshest and finest ingredients. Bru's Wiffle has reduced its waste bycomposting, reusing empty cleaning chemical containers and recycling used cooking oil forSMMUSD buses. 80% of employees use public transportation, rides a bike or walks to workand each staff meeting offers opportunities to discuss successes and the next steps to begreener. A member of the Buy Local Santa Monica campaign, Bru's Wiffle supports the communityby donating to the Santa Monica Fire Department and to local schools. They participated inSustainable Works' Business Greening Program and achieved Green Business Certificationin 2011. Central Parking Excellence in Social ResponsibilityCentral Parking is a professional parking management firm operating nation-wide instructures, open lots and pay-by-space lots. The company prioritizes internal promotionsand also collaborates with Santa Monica College to hire students. Central Parking cares forits employees by offering generous leaves, profit-sharing, 401(k) options and rewardingemployees through In Celebration of You Day. Central Parking supports the Santa Monica community with a rideshare board withalternative transportation solutions, encouraging volunteering, and providing bike valetservices for local events. HGA Architects and Engineers Excellence in Social Responsibility and Stewardship of the Natural Environment

2/20/13 NEWS - 2013 Sustainable Quality Awards Winners Announced

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HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) is a major integrated architecture, engineering andplanning firm. As a socially responsible business, HGA grants leave of absences andreduced work schedules upon request, and offers full benefits to employees working 24hours or more per week. The company actively participates during Employee AppreciationMonth and invites employees to share ideas, set goals and address training needs. HGA is also a champion of green building, committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030after signing the Architecture 2030 Carbon Neutral Design Commitment. In addition toeducating staff and clients on green building and sustainable design, they are working on azero-plus approach in building design which includes going beyond net zero and producingmore energy than consumed. Hostelling International LA/Santa Monica Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural EnvironmentHostelling International (HI) - LA/Santa Monica reveals an eco-friendly, high-end hostelexperience two blocks from the beach. HI's environmental practices include providing onlyreusable dishes and utensils in the communal kitchen, printing double-sided on recycledcontent paper and using Green Seal Certified cleaners. Housekeeping and maintenancemanagers are educated on green cleaning policies and guests can offset their carbonemissions by making a voluntary donation for each night's stay. HI also houses the oldest surviving brick building in Santa Monica, the Rapp Saloon, built in1875. They renovated the Saloon, and now offer it as a space for community and art eventssuch as travel workshops, poetry readings, and comedy nights. PayrollCentric TM Excellence in Economic Development and Social Responsibility

PayrollCentric is a supplier of integrated workforce management solutions, primarily payroll,designed to increase productivity, improve employee retention and reduce expenses. Theyimproved their competitive position in the payroll industry with their innovative "paperlesspayroll" system currently used by 46% of their customers. PayrollCentric employees have a voice in defining the company's annual goals and receivein-kinds rewards when they bring new clients. In 2012 PayrollCentric partnered with theAmerican Red Cross to help them raise funds on a continuous basis; they are the onlypayroll company in the United States to develop this kind of relationship with a charity. Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Excellence in Economic Development and Stewardship of the EnvironmentHeal the Bay's Santa Monica Pier Aquarium inspires understanding and conservation of theSanta Monica Bay and watersheds through education, stewardship and discovery. Recognized for their role in protecting and enhancing California's natural treasures, theCalifornia Travel Association last summer awarded Heal the Bay with the Stewardship of theYear Award. In 2011, the Aquarium began pumping seawater directly from the Bay for use in theirexhibits, avoiding the purchase and transport of seawater. The latest Aquarium exhibitfocuses on educating people about Los Angeles water, where it comes from and why it is aresource to be conserved. The aquarium offers bus passes, provides bicycle parking forstaff and volunteers, and a Smart Car for work-related trips. Santa Monica Place Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural Environment

2/20/13 NEWS - 2013 Sustainable Quality Awards Winners Announced

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Santa Monica Place is a modern, open-air shopping destination featuring Bloomingdale's,Nordstrom and a contemporary mix of shops and visionary restaurants. Certified LEED Gold since 2012, Santa Monica Place has reduced or offset more than 3million kWh from its 104 kW photovoltaic plant, energy management systems andpurchasing green power. Waterless urinals, high efficiency faucets, and automatic sensorfixtures reduce bathroom water use by 42%. Their sustainability kiosk provides informationabout LEED certification and their company policies. All of the shops are involved in theMacerich GIVE Green Gift Card program, which donates a portion of every purchase toAmerican Forest, the oldest citizen conservation non-profit. To date, the partnership hasplanted over144,000 trees. Three Squares Inc.Excellence in Stewardship of the Natural EnvironmentThree Squares Inc. (TSI) is an environmental consulting firm which designs sustainabilityinto the internal and external DNA of organizations. They consult companies usingtheir Corporate Sustainability Program™ to engage employees with environmental educationand organize some of the nation's most prominent sustainable events and marketingcampaigns. TSI is woman-owned, it is Santa Monica Green Certified Business, and offsets 100% of itsemissions. TSI's 2012 Women in Green Forum was the first U.S. conference todemonstrate compliance with ISO 20121, the new international standard for eventsustainability. The TSI team also regularly conducts educational environmental field tripsand is hosting a class for 6-9 year olds on Eco Living at Santa Monica PAL in the Spring. BackgroundFive of the Sustainable Quality Award Winners participated in the Sustainable Works'Business Greening Program. Eight of the 12 winners achieved Santa Monica GreenBusiness Certification. The Business Greening Program is a FREE service for businesseslocated in Santa Monica and provides the SQAs with several strong candidates each year.Contact Sustainable Works for more information or sign up. By recognizing local businesses that have thrived through the adoption of more sustainablepractices, the Sustainable Quality Awards hope to inspire other companies and individuals toadopt their own environmental measures to help conserve our natural resources. Awards Luncheon: March 13, 2013; 11 AM - Sheraton Delfina Hotel. Pre-paid tickets are $55for Chamber members and $60 for non-members until March 6, 2013. Reserve tickets bycalling 310.393.9825. Tickets can also be purchased at www.smsqa.com. For more information on the Sustainable Quality Awards visit www.smsqa.com.

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