News & Events
What's New for the New Year?
December 30, 2008
Greener Still
The "green" trend is the fastest growing segment in almost every industry and is effecting every aspect of our lives. At Laurel Mountain Basket Company environmental concerns, conservation and social responsibility have always been core beliefs. We have been thinking and living green even before we founded the company in 1998.
When Vic and I built our house in the late 1980's we were already thinking green. We considered going solar but solar products at that time were not as reliable or as effective as they are today so we went "passive solar". We enjoy a cool home in the summer without the use of air conditioning (we use ceiling fans and a couple of small stand alone fans) and our oil bill is "reasonable" even without an alternative heating system. Our home is insulated to R 30 which was a high rating at the time and insulation was blown in where appropriate.
We had an energy audit done this fall and the only recommendations were to replace some insulation that had been removed from the cellar ceiling when work to upgrade the heating system was done, and to add insulation in the attic at an interior wall. At the time we had the audit done, we changed all of our incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs), and installed a low flow showerhead and faucet aerators.
We bring our conservation and social responsibility philosophies to our business. We believe that being "green" is a standard expectation of our clients, just like great quality products and excellent customer service are.
At Laurel Mountain Basket Company we use many locally made products in our gift basket designs. By doing so we invest in our community. We can often save energy by arranging to pick up the product ourselves. Our 4 Runner is much more fuel efficient than a large delivery truck. By using small, local vendors, we are also able to get product quickly, insuring its freshness.
With Laurel Mountain Basket Company you can shop on line or visit the site to simply view our gift baskets. You can also call and order one of the styles we display on line by phone or let us know which baskets you are interested in and we will design one to your specific needs and budget. We will even deliver your gift locally or ship it for you, saving you time and energy! All of the gifts we ship or deliver include a hand written card with your personal messaage.
Some Simple Ways To Help Your Company Go Green
It's really easy to incorporate environmentally friendly actions into your daily life. For example, recycle your paper, plastics, and metals. Use recycled paper products and other products made from recycled materials. Whalen's Stationers & Office Furniture Co. in Northampton carries a full line of recycled paper products as well as re-filled ink cartridges. Ink Solutions in Northampton and Amherst also offer ink and toner refilling and aftermarket ink-jet and toner cartridges. We still clean our own Studio but we know that David at Beloved Earth cleaning and maintenance uses environmentally safe products. There are a number of fine companies that provide safe cleaning products. I know Bruce Homstead, our Shaklee representative, would love to help you choose some cleaning products that are right for you.
Dates To Remember - January
- 1st New Years Day
- 3rd Fruitcake Toss Day
- 12th Clean Off Your Desk Day
- 17th Customer Service Day
- 22nd Answer Your Cats Questions Day
- 23rd Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day
- 26th Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
- 30th Fun at Work Day
