ForConstructionPros.com

The old Kermit the Frog song "It's Not Easy Being Green" does not apply to the concrete industry. Many contractors are involved in sustainable initiatives both in their concrete services and their business practices.

Green is a broad concept lacking a formal definition. Kevin Johnson, founder and owner of K Johnson Construction in Sauk Raids, Minn., defines being a green contractor as being conscious of using alternative methods in construction and in your business operations.

Karen Van Heukelem, business developer for Colorado Hardscapes, Inc. adds, "Green concrete contractors use common sense to build smarter, more efficiently and with minimal impact on the environment."

Chris Klemaske, who works in project development with T.B. Penick & Sons Inc., says the company looks at the big picture when it comes to being green. "It's being aware of everything, from what kind of coffee cup you use to how the sealer we apply to our concrete affects the environment and our employees," she says.

"If you aren't already practicing 'green' building it would be in your best interest to start," says Scott Johnson, project manager for Gresser Companies, Eagan, Minn. "Because ready or not, it is where the industry is going."