Green Machines

Can you make a difference and make your business work, too? This entrepreneur says yes.

By Geoff Williams • Jul 1, 2003

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

"I'm not an environmentalist," says Grant Goodman."I'm just attuned to business ethics." The45-year-old entrepreneur is CEO of six companies, but his flagshipbusiness is Rockland Materials--which employs 230 people and bringsin $40 million a year making building materials like ready-mixcement. He works out of Phoenix, a city known for having a"brown cloud" over it. But none of the pollution comesfrom Rockland Materials, the largest commercial user of biodieselfuel in the country. Yes, Goodman's 120 trucks run primarily onsoybeans. The fuel is biodegradable, nontoxic and virtually free ofsulfur-earning him a prestigious EPA award and high praise inpublications ranging from The Wall Street Journal toSoybean Digest.

Since you can clearly make money as apro-environment business, why aren't more companies doingit?

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