Modesto consulting firm goes green

Geological Technics Inc. is a consulting firm that assists other businesses in becoming environmentally responsible, but the Modesto-based company also demonstrates what a green business truly looks like through the management of their day-to-day operations.

GTI recently made the decision to consolidate their business into one large office in order to both save money and conserve on resources. Furthermore, they made a conscious effort to promote reuse by ensuring that their office was stocked with refurbished furniture and equipment. GTI also streamlines company travel by strategically planning out meetings and worksite visits to minimize travel times and distances, gas expenditures and vehicle wear.

According to GTI’s President Cher Kablanow-Tonge, these policies stem from the environmentally-sensitive concerns of the employees that make up the business. “How you live your life effects how you run your business,” she explains, “If you bring your personal values to the business, it positively affects everyone.”

Among those positively affected are GTI’s clients. By actively working to use resources in a responsible way, GTI has also managed to cut costs – Kablanow-Tonge estimates that those savings are between 10 and 20 percent - and then pass those savings along to their clients. “Because of our policies and the way we interact with our clients, we are in a much stronger position than our competitors,” Kablanow-Tonge says.

Kablanow-Tonge explains that most businesses can benefit from adopting these policies. “We find that it’s not out of lack of caring that businesses don’t do this,” she says, “It’s just that it’s not often thought of.”

Kablanow-Tonge hopes that by succeeding through conserving, GTI can inspire other to do the same.

"How you live your life effects how you run your business," she explains, "If you bring your personal values to the business, it positively affects everyone."