At first glance, the new Natural Food Pantry store situated on Richmond Road (one block west of Kirkwood Ave.) in Ottawa’s, trendy, Westboro Village looks like many of the other contemporary, urban, retailers that call Westboro home.

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 21, 2010 – At first glance, the new Natural Food Pantry store situated on Richmond Road (one block west of Kirkwood Ave.) in Ottawa’s, trendy, Westboro Village looks like many of the other contemporary, urban, retailers that call Westboro home.

“But that may be where the similarities end”, explains owner Rick Payant, who has been busy putting the finishing touches on his third, and perhaps his ‘greenest’ endeavor to date. “When we opened this location, this week, we did it with the distinction of being Canada’s first, gold-certified ‘Greentailer’”. The Natural Food Pantry earned its Gold level status as a Green certified business from the Green Business League.

“While “Environmental Stewardship”, “Sustainability” and “Going Green” may be hot, new business concepts to many” explains Rick, “these principles have been the foundation of our success for close to three decades. ‘Green’ isn’t new to us, not by a long-shot”, adds Payant, who along with his staff of 50, have been selling a diverse array of natural, health, gluten-free and organic food at his three locations long before ‘green’ became the epitome of sustainability.

“Being a good steward of the environment and an efficient successful business, are not mutually exclusive, in fact, they are one in the same and represent opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage” he says.

“With sales, margins and profitability under continual competitive pressure, retailers wishing to insulate their bottom lines from the negative impact of higher overheads and explosive energy costs should be looking to sustainability as a possible solution” indicates Elaina Martin, Executive Director of the Westboro Village BIA.

“The first step toward becoming sustainable is a comprehensive ‘green audit’” states Carole Lair, President of Greenvolution Inc. (an Ottawa based consulting group specializing in sustainability, cost- reduction optimization and certification). The green audit evaluates the cost and impact of energy usage in a number of key areas including: waste management, lighting, heating, cooling and refrigeration; while the cost-benefit analysis we provide aims to balance ecological effectiveness with economic efficiency.

Through collaboration with Greenvolution Inc. the Natural Food Pantry stores incorporate a diverse array of ‘best in-class green practices’. “An amazing amount of thought went into what seems very unassuming.” states Payant, who is known for his environmentally conscious spaces at both Billings Bridge Plaza and their Hazeldean Rd, location in Kanata.

“We’ve built upon what we learned from expanding and renovating our flagship store at Billings Bridge Plaza (a year ago this Fall) and combined this with many of the innovative products and technologies that currently grace our Kanata property. The net sum of which, has ALL been carefully integrated and reflected in the new store in Ottawa West, the one that has earned us our gold level ‘greentailer’ certification”.

Adherence to green design and construction principals is evident right down to the selection and integration of their interior finishes, lighting and mechanicals. “Green” initiatives include: open ceilings, application specific finishes, energy-efficient lighting that accentuate the space, providing both function and form; and aggressive waste reduction strategies reduce the frequency and costs of garbage collection.

“We did our best to design and build a space that reflects our wish to be environmentally responsible while providing our customers with a fresh-food shopping experience that is second-to-none, right down to our staff members shirts made from Bamboo” Rick adds.

***** Note for Print Media *****

For your convenience a zip file containing a Photograph and .txt and .doc version(s) of this Press Release can be downloaded from: http://www.creativegenius.ca/clients/nfp/greentailer.zip  

Natural Food Pantry

Natural Food Pantry is a full service, independently owned, natural food chain who has been serving the health and wellness needs of Ottawan’s for two and a half decades. Each of the three (3) Natural Food Pantry locations offers a diverse array of products including: bulk foods, supplements, herbs, organic produce, organic meats, natural body care, homeopathy, books and specialty food products.

For more information on Natural Food Pantry,

Contact:

Rick Payant, Owner
Natural Food Pantry (Head Office)
Billings Bridge Plaza
2277 Riverside Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1H 7X6

(613) 737-0761 (Voice)
(613) 737-5144 (Fax)
e-mail: naturalfoodpantry@rogers.com
www.naturalfoodpantry.com  

Greenvolution Inc.

Greenvolution Inc. is an Ottawa based consulting group specializing in assisting clients to minimize their environmental impact, while fortifying bottom line performance through the adoption of green practices. As experts in sustainability, Greenvolution Inc. offers the right balance of experience and knowledge to ensure that their clients reduce their carbon footprint and manage the environmental impact of their operations.

For more information on Greenvolution Inc,

Contact:

Carole Lair, President
Greenvolution Inc.
Toll Free: 1-888-373-4445
Cell: (613) 867-2309
www.greenvolution.ca
carole@greenvolution.ca

# # #

The Green Business League is arguably the best and most reliable Green Business Certification in the country. More than a federal trademark, there are more than 300 Certified Green Consultants nationwide to offer guidance.

--- end ---

Issued By : Carole Lair
Phone : 1-888-373-4445
City/Town : Ottawa
State/Province : Ontario
Country : Canada