SACRAMENTO - Today, the Air Resources Board held a ceremony to present the winners of the CoolCalifornia.org Small Business Awards, honoring their environmentally sound business strategies that reduce expenses.

“These small-business leaders from across the state prove that it only takes a few simple steps to be more sustainable,” said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “Whether it’s running a hotel or providing legal services they each demonstrated that making smart climate-friendly choices is good for the environment and for their bottom line.”

The 16 award winners were selected from 78 competitive applicants, representing a variety of business sectors. These businesses took an array of actions to save money and improve their operations, facilities and practices while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Steps taken include installation of compact fluorescent lights, solar panels and energy-efficient computer servers; elimination of toxins and solvents; use of eco-friendly products; and, adding automated thermostats and lighting fixtures.

Five businesses received the Business of the Year award for demonstrating exceptional climate change management practices and communication.  Eleven were acknowledged with the Climate Leader award for taking proactive steps to reduce their impact on our climate and communicating this information to their employees and customers.

The winners come from 15 California cities across the state and represent 13 industries, including manufacturing, hotel/lodging, architecture, property rental, environmental services, legal services, and recycling.

List of the award winners

Businesses of the Year
Atlas Disposal, Sacramento
Light & Motion Industries, Inc., Monterey
Recon Recycling, LLC, San Diego
Three Squares Inc., Santa Monica
Weston Miles Architects, Morgan Hill

Climate Leaders
Aqua-Flo, Goleta
Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa, Sausalito
Cibola Systems Corporation, Orange
CleanFlame, Oroville
Minagar & Associates, Inc., Irvine
Paladin Law Group LLP, Walnut Creek
PizzaSalad, The Organic Choice, Thousand Oaks
Pure Water Bottling Company, Castroville
Sapphos Environmental, Inc., Pasadena
Sun Harbor Marina, San Diego
Virtually Basic LLC, Citrus Heights

The award winners were scored by two-person teams comprised of staff from public agencies and private businesses.  ARB staff and leadership further reviewed scores, and conducted site visits and environmental reviews to arrive at final decisions.

CoolCalifornia.org is an online resource providing all Californians with the information and tools they need to take climate action.  The website features money-saving actions, climate calculators, case studies and links to financial incentives to help individuals, small businesses, local government and youth gain the knowledge needed to take simple steps for a sustainable future.

For more information, visit www.coolcalifornia.org.