“Green is Gold” for ZAP Electric Truck Fleet Customer Ghilotti Construction
SANTA ROSA, California -- Kudos are in order for ZAP Fleet customer Ghilotti Construction Company in receiving a 2009 Business Environmental Alliance’s best practices award this February.
Ghilotti was one of the first fleets to purchase ZAP’s new XL Truck, a larger truck for handling heavier loads. Ghilotti purchased the XL Truck along with its original Xebra truck for its fleet. Ghilotti operates an internal-combustion fleet of over 200 heavy duty vehicles, which they fuel with a biodiesel blend. Ghilotti also remodeled its headquarters using ‘green’ practices as well as promoting environmental awareness among its employees, according to the North Bay Business Journal.
Ghilotti Construction first customer for 4-wheel ZAP Electric Truck XLBusiness Fleet Magazine profiled Ghilotti Construction in their January 2009 issue in a story “Fleets Become Electrified.”
Damon Calegari, equipment manager with Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Ghilotti Construction Co., told Business Fleet that Ghilotti is always looking at how to be better stewards of the environment and the community. He realized the company made many of its parts run within five to 10 miles of its facility, so it seemed like a perfect application for the electric vehicles. With over 50 employees, Ghilotti uses the XL Truck to run parts off site and the Xebra to transfer paperwork, time cards and invoices to opposite ends of the company's five-acre facility.
ZAP XL Electric Truck"We were interested in their product and thought maybe we could help an upstart company with a good idea to help them get on their feet," says Calegari. "We didn't go into this with any expectations; we just had a need and thought it would be beneficial to our operations and the community to utilize these vehicles. So far, they've done what we expected them to do."
Calegari estimates the vehicle's lifecycle at 10-15 years.
According to Sonoma County’s Business Environmental Alliance, green business practices aren’t just good for the environment, they’re good for the bottom line.
“We know that green is gold,” said guest speaker Carl Guardino, CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a business coalition that includes California’s largest technology companies.
Sonoma County’s Business Environmental Alliance is a volunteer group that promotes green business practices.
In February it presented 16 Sonoma County businesses with its Best Practices Award for saving energy, reducing waste and taking other steps to protect the environment.
In addition to Ghilotti Construction, award winners include: Asti Winery, DoubleTree Hotel, Friedman’s Home Improvement, Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Lace House Linen Supply, Lescure Engineers, Liberty Valley Doors, Mrs. Grossman’s Paper Co., Redwood Credit Union, Redwood Hill Farm, Santa Rosa Junior College, St. Francis Winery & Vineyard, Winzler & Kelley and Wright Engineered Plastics.
Links:
- Ghilotti Construction
- Sonoma County's Business Environmental Alliance
- "Fleets Become Electrified," Business Fleet Magazine, January 2009
- "It pays to be green," Santa Rosa, Press Democrat, February 27, 2009