Grandholm, Villa Honored as Southwest Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame
April 14, 2023
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and Michigan’s Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum will celebrate three local professionals and six local organizations at the Fourth Annual Great Green Gala on Wednesday, April 19 at the Box Factory for the Arts.
Jim Grandholm, President of Green Earth Electronics Recycling and Rick Villa, President of Villa Environmental Consulting, will be inducted into the Southwest Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame. Grandholm launched Green Earth Electronics in 2013 to address a growing need for electronics recycling in Southwest Michigan. The Sustainable Business Hall of Fame is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes extraordinary contributions to the growth of sustainable business in Southwest Michigan over the course of a career.
A legacy member of Michigan’s Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum, Grandholm has long been one of the region’s most prominent materials management leaders.
Villa formed Villa Environmental Consultants, Inc. in 1989 after previously providing environmental and energy conservation services for nearly 10 years as a part of one of the largest engineering and land surveying companies in the area. Villa not only was the first environmental firms established in the area, Rick became one of the first environmental consulting groups to be owned by a Hispanic professional. A fixture in the local community, he has served on the boards of the Cornerstone Alliance, Rotary Club of St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, Benton Harbor DDA and numerous other not for profit organizations. Grandholm and Villa join past honorees Becky Kliss, Marcy Hamilton and J.B. Hoyt in the Hall of Fame, which is selected by a committee of local MiSBF members.
For the first time, MGSSBF will also recognize an emerging professional with the Future Sustainable Business Hall of Fame Award. This year’s recipient is Emilly Hickmott of the Van Buren Conservation District.
The event will also honor six local organizations with the 2023 Sustainable Business of the Year Awards.
- City of Niles – improved local water quality through removal of the Pucker Street Dam.
- Meijer – made significant investments to protect the Ox Creek Watershed by deploying green stormwater infrastructure at its Benton Harbor property.
- River St. Joe – leadership in renewable energy and sustainable food systems.
- City of Benton Harbor – successfully upgrading its drinking water infrastructure in rapid time, while leading investments to protect its watershed and coastline, improve materials management, and promote economic prosperity.
- Abonmarche – developed innovative and efficient processes to advance drinking water infrastructure improvements in Benton Harbor.
- Express Employment Professionals of Southwest Michigan – promoting employment equity within the workforce and advancing social justice.
Event Returning from a Pandemic Hiatus to Celebrate Earth Week
Returning after a three-year hiatus, the Great Green Gala is the signature event for sustainability professionals in Southwest Michigan. An opportunity to spotlight local organizations and professionals that are driving positive outcomes for their environment, community and economy, the event will return to the Box Factory for the Arts on Wednesday, April 19. In addition to the 2023 Southwest Michigan Sustainable Business of the Year Awards and Hall of Fame induction, the event will feature a plated dinner and hosted bar of beer and wine. Tickets are $65 per person and available at mgssbf.org.
The event is sponsored by the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, Republic Services, Indiana Michigan Power, Wightman, Abonmarche, Shinka Sustainability Consultants, Jim Roberts Enterprises LLC, Martin’s and Brewery Vivant.
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and Michigan’s Great Southwest Sustainable Business Forum promote business practices that advance climate leadership, social justice and the creation of a circular economy. It is Michigan’s leading organization for beyond-compliance sustainability, with a community of practice featuring our region’s most recognizable brands, largest employers and most innovative entrepreneurs, advocates and educators.