Velcro Canada and Menkes Property Management Services take home People Power Challenge Grand Prize

TORONTO, Oct. 30, 2013 /CNW/ - Partners in Project Green, an initiative of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, runs the People Power Challenge - an annual competition in which businesses work to earn points for driving sustainable actions among their employees. Another exciting year of the People Power Challenge has just come to a close.  This competition resulted in engaged employees, idea generation, and sustainability improvements for all the Challengers, but in the end, only two companies can take home the top prize. The winners are:

Large Enterprise: Menkes Property Management Services Ltd.

Small-to-Medium Size Enterprise: Velcro Canada Inc.

Each company receives $2,500 and a plaque commemorating their win.  The prizes will be presented by Toby Lennox, Chair of the Partners in Project Green Steering Committee and Vice President of Strategy Development and Stakeholder Relations at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority on November 7.

Throughout the year, 10 companies competed in three challenges - Green Procurement, Green Building, and Transportation.  In each challenge, companies worked to engage their staff in environmental sustainability, which allowed them to Identify and implement ways to reduce costs and improve environmental performance.

Menkes Property Management Services Ltd. took home the top prize in the Large Enterprise category in all three sub-challenges this year. "Menkes Property Management Services Ltd. continues to strive for excellence in all avenues of sustainability. We are proud to accept this honour as Grand Champion of the People Power Challenge program." Says Elena Muto, General Manager of 4711 Yonge Street, Menkes Property Management Services Ltd. At Menkes, we recognize the importance of our daily decisions and how they affect the environment and spaces we manage."

In the Small-to-Medium Sized category, Broan NuTone Canada won the Green Procurement Challenge, but Velcro Canada Inc. swept ahead in the Green Building and Transportation Challenges to take the Grand Prize. "Velcro Canada Inc. has always placed a strong emphasis on sustainability. Winning the Green Transportation and the overall challenges to obtain Grand Champion title is an honor. It definitely reinforces that we are moving in the right direction and motivates us to continue looking for more ways to become sustainable," says Tal Rafailov, Strategic Project Manager, Velcro Canada.

Congratulations to all of the businesses who participated in the 2013 People Power Challenge:

• Broan NuTone Canada
• Canadian Tire (Brampton Distribution Centre)
• Candian Tire (AJ Billes Distribution Centre)
• Hasall Associates
• Husky Injection Molding Systems
• Ontario Natural Food Co-op
• Region of Peel
• Trillium Health Partners

The details of the 2014 People Power Challenge will be released in the coming months. Visit www.partnersinprojectgreen.com or contact Jennifer Taves at 416-661-6600 ext 5570 or [email protected] to learn more.

ABOUT PARTNERS IN PROJECT GREEN

Partners in Project Green is a growing community of businesses working together to green their bottom line by creating an internationally recognized eco-business zone around Toronto Pearson. Through new forms of business-to-business collaboration, Partners in Project Green delivers programming that helps businesses reduce energy and resource costs, uncover new business opportunities, and address everyday operational challenges in a green and cost-effective manner.

SOURCE: Partners in Project Green

Media Contact

Rowena Calpito
Toronto and Region Conservation
416-661-6600 ext 5632
[email protected]