Innovative Humboldt "Green" Company Wins Iowa Farm Bureau Entrepreneur Award.
Published
7/30/2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laurie Johns, Iowa Farm Bureau, (515) 225-5414
INNOVATIVE HUMBOLDT ‘GREEN’ COMPANY WINS IOWA FARM BUREAU ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – July 30, 2009 –A Humboldt company that recycles used tractor parts has been named the Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur of the Month. Hy-Capacity, founded in 1978, built a nationwide reputation as a source for agricultural clutches, water pumps and other tractor parts. Now, having grown to 24 regional warehouses and a national sales force, the owners wanted to see how they could do more to help reduce waste in the landfills.
Hy-Capacity President Steve Olson and Vice President Molly Varangkounh put together a 22-member ‘Green Team’ which finds creative ways to recycle just about everything the plant uses. They started by capturing rainwater from the roof and using it for the manufacturing process. They also encourage employees to carpool and bicycle to work, all in the name of reducing their ‘carbon footprint.’ “In less than three months, we won recognition as a ‘Zero Waste Company’ thanks to a collection of efforts by employees. Together, we’ve done everything from convert our lighting to save energy, to switching out Styrofoam products whenever we can,” said Olson
“Hy-Capacity is the kind of business that exemplifies what can be accomplished when hard work, creativity and a quest for making the world a better place all come together,” said Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) Economic Development Administrator, Sandy Ehrig. “We have many exciting things coming up for Renew Rural Iowa and we think Iowa entrepreneurs will be happy to see what the program can do for them,” said Ehrig.
Renew Rural Iowa will also be at the Iowa State Fair Wednesday, August 19, with their partner, Venture Net Iowa, at Farm Bureau Park from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Business experts will answer questions and connect entrepreneurs to the right resources and technical assistance to help them grow their business. For more information about Renew Rural Iowa or upcoming Venture Net business mentoring seminars, call 800-254-9670 or or log on to the IFBF website at www.iowafarmbureau.com
About Iowa Farm Bureau The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is a grassroots, statewide organization dedicated to enhancing the People, Progress and Pride of Iowa. More than 153,000 families in Iowa are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve farm and rural prosperity. For more information about Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit the online media center at www.iowafarmbureau.com.