2016 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon

Participants come from a variety of sectors, including tech, professional services, manufacturing and auto. In addition to the 2016 green roster, the following list contains snapshots of several new entrants to the 100 Best Green Workplaces list.

As we went to press, the city of Portland was grappling with public health concerns arising from business use of toxic chemicals during the manufacturing process. We cover the private-sector response to this issue in our “Spotlight” article in the magazine. But the issue and the list underscore the value of green workplace practices. Consumers and employees are becoming increasingly aware of and concerned by employers’ use of hazardous materials that are harmful to human health and the environment.

Companies and nonprofits that go above and beyond to create sustainable workplaces as highlighted in this list will find their efforts not only resonate with the public; green strategies also introduce economic and environmental efficiency and are a critical tool in helping employers recruit and retain talent. The following organizations are on the leading edge of their sectors, and we salute both management and employees for their commitment and achievements.

1 Rose City Mortgage — Portland, Mortgage broker
       Oregon employees/volunteers: 15
       Overall score: 297.10 

2  Coyote Trails School of Nature — Medford, Teaches traditional living skills and runs public nature center
      Oregon employees/volunteers: 10
      Overall score: 296.20 

3  LifeSource Natural Foods — Salem, Independent natural foods retailer
      Oregon employees/volunteers: 85
      Overall score: 293.23

4  Trail Blazers Marketing — Beaverton, Sales and marketing firm
        Oregon employees/volunteers: 15
        Overall score: 292.80

5  Research Into Action — Portland, Research and evaluation consulting
       Oregon employees/volunteers: 25
       Overall score: 292.20

6  American College of Healthcare Sciences — Portland, Provides online certificate and degree programs in holistic health
       Oregon employees/volunteers: 30
       Overall score: 286.43

7  Standing Stone Brewing — Ashland, Brewbub and restaurant
       Oregon employees/volunteers: 70
       Overall score: 286.40

8  Earl & Brown — Beaverton, Wholesale distribution
       Oregon employees/volunteers: 36
       Overall score: 285.58

9  AJ's Auto Repair — Salem, Automotive repair
      Oregon employees/volunteers: 16
      Overall score: 285.19

10 Soft Star Shoes — Corvallis, Retailer of sustainable shoes
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 26
          Overall score: 283.98

11  Green Acres Landscape — Salem, Landscaper
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 70
          Overall score: 282.23

12  BRING Recycling — Eugene, Encourages reuse through the sale of used building materials
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 15
          Overall score: 281.61

13  TMT Development — Portland, Commercial real estate development and property management
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 16
            Overall score: 280.23

"Our biggest challenge: breaking established patterns of behavior. Everyone has their individual habit. It is also helpful when executive leadership 'walks the talk' when it comes to sustainable initiatives." — Refinement Wagner, marketing director

14  Energy Trust of Oregon — Portland, Helps utility customers save energy and generate renewable power
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 99
           Overall score: 279.35

15  Portland YouthBuilders — Portland, Alternative high school for low income youth
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 24
          Overall score: 278.99

16  Gerding Edlen — Portland, Real estate development and investment management
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 54
          Overall score: 278.88

17  Barran Liebman — Portland, Law firm
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 32
          Overall score: 278.13

18  Doubletree by Hilton — Portland, Hotel
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 250
            Overall score: 276.30

19  Friends of Trees — Portland, Plants and cares for city trees and green spaces
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 21
           Overall score: 275.82

20  Rogue Creamery — Central Point, Cheese company
                 Oregon employees/volunteers: 43
                 Overall score: 275.68

21  Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon — Portland, Provides capital, coaching and support to entrepreneurs
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 13
          Overall score: 274.16

22  Capitol Auto Group — Salem, Automotive retail and service
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 304
           Overall score: 273.71

23  Vernier Software & Technology — Beaverton, Software developer for science classrooms and labs
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 105
            Overall score: 273.50

24  JE Dunn — Portland 85 273.23 General contractor
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 85
          Overall score: 273.23

25 On-the-Move Community Integration — Portland, Supports adults with developmental disabilities in accessing the community
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 10
          Overall score: 270.88

26  Adelante Mujeres — Forest Grove, Provides education and empowerment opportunities to low income Latina women and their families
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 25
          Overall score: 270.82

27  McKenzie Commercial Contractors — Eugene, General contractor
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 25
            Overall score: 270.28

28  Oregon Environmental Council — Portland, Advances collaborative solutions to Oregon’s environmental challenges
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 19
          Overall score: 270.16

29  Oregon Wild — Portland, Works to protect and restore Oregon's wildlands, wildlife and waters
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 15
          Overall score: 269.98

30  PAE Consulting Engineers — Portland, Consulting engineering firm
                 Oregon employees/volunteers: 108
                 Overall score: 269.08

31  Mt. Hood Meadows — Mt. Hood, Alpine recreation and hospitality
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 108
            Overall score: 269.08

32  Tec Labs — Albany, Pharmaceutical manufacturer
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 38
            Overall score: 268.50 

33  Bonneville Environmental Foundation — Portland, Environmental consultant
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 14
            Overall score: 268.46

34  Sustainable Northwest — Portland, Works with rural communities to turn environmental challenges into economic opportunity
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 11
          Overall score: 268.37

35  Interface Engineering — Portland, Offers mechanical, electrical and plumbing consulting
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 121
            Overall score: 267.98

36  Lanphere Construction and Development — Beaverton, General contractor
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 52
           Overall score: 267.93

37  Boly:Welch — Portland, Recruiting and consulting
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 41
            Overall score: 267.36

38  REACH Community Development — Portland, Develops and manages affordable housing
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 132
           Overall score: 267.11

39  The Joinery — Portland 30 266.72 Maker of custom, solid wood furniture
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 30
          Overall score: 266.72

40  FULL Creative — Portland, Provides business phone service
                 Oregon employees/volunteers: 137
                 Overall score: 265.18

41  The Nature Conservancy — Portland, Works to conserve lands and waterways
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 85
           Overall score: 264.91

42  EartH2O — Culver, Beverage manufacturer
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 60
           Overall score: 263.35

43  Sokol Blosser Winery — Dundee, Winery
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 42
            Overall score: 262.90

44  Green Building Services — Portland, Provides sustainability consulting, commissioning, energy audits, technical services, training
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 17
            Overall score: 262.87

45  Common Block Brewing Company — Medford, Restaurant and brewery
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 15
           Overall score: 262.20

46  DeSantis Landscapes — Salem, Landscape contracting
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 54
            Overall score: 261.85

47  Carr Auto Group — Beaverton, Automotive new car sales and service
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 340
           Overall score: 261.41

48  Adroit Construction — Ashland, Commercial general contractor
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 110
            Overall score: 261.25

49  Salem Convention Center — Salem, Full service convention center
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 65
            Overall score: 260.85

50  Hopworks Urban Brewery — Portland, Brewery
               Oregon employees/volunteers: 135
               Overall score: 260.67

51  CLEAResult — Portland, Energy efficiency consulting
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 425
           Overall score: 260.13

52  Childpeace Montessori — Portland, Montessori education provider
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 60
            Overall score: 259.55

53  SolTerra — Portland, Designs and bulids sustainable structures
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 90
            Overall score: 259.53

"In March we put an office-wide ban on to-go containers in the refrigerator. That seemed to spark a flood of change as people realized how much waste throwaway containers created on a daily basis. Our LEED specialist had begun to weigh and record the trash versus recycling ratio in the office, and this pushed us to try harder to create a higher recycling-to-trash ratio." — Valerie Smith, office administrator

54  Hitachi Consulting — Portland, IT and management consulting
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 28
            Overall score: 259.06

55  Rizzo Mattingly Bosworth — Portland, Legal services
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 17
            Overall score: 258.70

56  International Living Future Institute — Portland, Administers sustainable certification programs
             Oregon employees/volunteers: 14
             Overall score: 258.44

57  Mazzetti — Portland, Mechanical, electrical, plumbing design firm
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 16
            Overall score: 258.14

58  Northwest Family Services — Portland, Provides poverty reduction services
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 67
            Overall score: 258.08

59  Family Relief Nursery — Cottage Grove, Early childhood program/child abuse prevention agency
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 16
            Overall score: 257.99

60  Ninkasi Brewing Company — Eugene, Brewery
                 Oregon employees/volunteers: 92
                 Overall score: 257.85

61  Mount Pisgah Arboretum — Eugene, Nature education center
             Oregon employees/volunteers: 12
             Overall score: 257.62  

62  Mary's Woods at Marylhurst — Lake Oswego, Continuing care retirement community
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 315
           Overall score: 256.62

63  Women's Health Center of Southern Oregon — Grants Pass, private practice
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 57
            Overall score: 255.85

64  Community Energy Project — Portland, Provides weatherization services and workshops
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 10
           Overall score: 255.60

"We're a small, grassroots organization that recycles everything. I bring in a bucket for office composting that clicks onto my bike, and I take the compost home. We take part in the Bike More Challenge. We naturally attract environmentally minded people, so we always try to naturally reduce waste as much as possible. We turn down the AC in the summer." — Sherrie Pelsma, outreach director

65  Mortgage Trust — Portland, Residential mortgage lender
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 41
          Overall score: 255.12

66  Hartmann&Forbes — Tualatin, Manufacturer of custom wallcoverings and window coverings
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 54
            Overall score: 254.35

67  Neil Kelly Company — Portland, Residential remodeling contractor
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 176
           Overall score: 253.55

68  Isler CPA — Eugene, CPA firm
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 19
           Overall score: 253.13

69  Dallas Retirement Village — Dallas, Retirement community
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 280
           Overall score: 252.90

TIE 70  Perkins Coie — Portland, Professional services firm
                        Oregon employees/volunteers: 132
                        Overall score: 252.80

TIE 70  R&H Construction — Portland, Commercial construction general contractor
                       Oregon employees/volunteers: 220
                       Overall score: 252.80

72  Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest — Portland, Recruits, places and supports Jesuit volunteers
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 20
            Overall score: 252.26

73  Sussman Shank — Portland, Law firm
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 62
            Overall score: 251.85

74  OCHIN — Portland, Provides heathcare IT solutions
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 187
            Overall score: 251.60

75  CBRE — Portland, Commercial real estate services
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 124
            Overall score: 251.35

76  Bandon Dunes Golf Resort — Bandon, Golf resort
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 445
            Overall score: 250.54

77  Aspen Creek Landscaping — Newberg, Landscape contracting and maintenance
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 35
           Overall score: 250.45

78  IDX — Eugene, Provider of real estate search applications
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 48
            Overall score: 249.90

79  The Climate Trust — Portland, Assists new fossil-fueled power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 11
            Overall score: 249.89

80  Escape Lodging Company — Cannon Beach, Property management
              Oregon employees/volunteers: 475
              Overall score: 249.78

"For years we delivered a newspaper to every guest, every morning. After seeing newspapers left untouched day after day, a new employee suggested we ask guests upon check-in whether or not they wanted on. It sounds absurd that none of us had thought of it. it takes two seconds longer to ask the question, another minute to prepare the delivery list each day." — Alyson Short, assistant manager

81  AltSource — Portland, Software development
              Oregon employees/volunteers: 61
              Overall score: 249.33 

82  NW Staffing Resources — Portland, Temporary and direct hire placement
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 19
            Overall score: 248.37

83  Fortis Construction — Portland, Construction manager and general contractor
          Oregon employees/volunteers: 159
          Overall score: 248.03

TIE 84  General Sheet Metal — Clackamas, Mechanical and architectural contractor
                      Oregon employees/volunteers: 110
                      Overall score: 247.86

TIE 84  Willamette West Habitat for Humanity — Hillsboro, Builds and sells affordable homes to low-income families
                      Oregon employees/volunteers: 13
                      Overall score: 247.86

"The Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling program improved our in-office recycling of lunchtime items. We also had an education session from Washington County about how to reduce our garbage by purchasing items in less wasteful packaging, storing items in reusable containers, and using plates, glasses and silverware instead of paper products." — Hope Howard, director of resources

86  Gorilla Capital — Eugene, Buys and sells remodeled houses
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 17
            Overall score: 246.80

87  Rogue Credit Union — Medford 324 246.37 Credit union
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 324
            Overall score: 246.37

88  Pacific Landscape Management — Hillsboro, Commercial landscape maintenance
           Oregon employees/volunteers: 170
           Overall score: 246.24

89  Redmond Dental Group — Redmond, Dentist office
             Oregon employees/volunteers: 19
             Overall score: 245.06 

90 Malarkey Roofing Products — Portland, Roofing manufacturer
                 Oregon employees/volunteers: 100
                 Overall score: 244.74

91  Transition Projects — Portland, Services that move people from homelessness to housing
              Oregon employees/volunteers: 87
              Overall score: 244.45

92  Wauna Credit Union — Clatskanie, Credit union
             Oregon employees/volunteers: 92
             Overall score: 244.36

93  GSI Water Solutions — Portland, Consulting
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 35
            Overall score: 244.34

94  Magnum Opus — Portland, Hair salon
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 45
            Overall score: 244.12

95  Oregon Public Health Institute — Portland, Provides training, technical assistance and policy analysis to improve health
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 10
            Overall score: 243.87

96  ShopKeep — Portland, Provides cloud-based iPad point of sale systems to support small businesses
             Oregon employees/volunteers: 52
             Overall score: 243.73

97  XPLANE — Portland, Business design consulting
            Oregon employees/volunteers: 30
            Overall score: 243.49

98 Indow Windows — Portland, Manufacturer of interior window inserts
             Oregon employees/volunteers: 28
             Overall score: 243.39 

99  Northwest Newborn Specialists — Portland, Neonatal physician group
             Oregon employees/volunteers: 22
             Overall score: 243.40

100  Travel Salem — Salem, Tourism promotion
                   Oregon employees/volunteers: 12
                   Overall score: 241.74