Conserving energy is in an important way for consumers to save money on their electric bill, and perhaps nobody in the community embraces this idea more than Modesto Irrigation District, a utility company that has been providing power and water to the Modesto-area since 1887.

Investment advisors always say that diversity is the key to success and stability in down economies, and it seems that Applegate Johnston has taken this strategy and applied it to the construction industry.

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."

For most businesses to be considered “progressive” they would need to do something different and uncommon, but it’s also possible to be innovative by simply doing basic things uncommonly well.

That’s exactly how OCAT separates itself from the pack. The Modesto-based company that owns and operates 38 Taco Bell locations in the Central Valley stands out by going back to basics and emphasizing a level of hiring and training that is unparalleled in the industry.

“It’s not so much innovation,” President David Olson explains, “But execution.”

While structured development programs are common in the fast food industry, few can match OCAT’s dedication and focus, particularly for members of management. Expectations of excellence start early on in the interview process, where potential candidates are subject to a review board, or a panel of three interviewers, in order to ensure that the best employees are hired or promoted.

Qualified managers are then trained to run a store through a process that involves hands-on training of necessary skills, classroom education in which they are taught the essentials of the business, and personal attention from Area Coaches. “We spend an awful lot of time and resources to train and educate management,” says Olson.

While the benefits of quality training have a ripple effect that positively impacts store operations, employee retention, and job satisfaction, the real benefit is that better training will always lead to a more satisfied customer. “It’s all about people,” Olson explains, “It’s all focused on taking care of the customers.”