September 8, 2004

The Department of Environmental Quality is pleased to announce the 12th Annual Great Lakes Region Waste Reduction and Energy Efficiency Conference and Expo: Staying Competitive in the Environmental Arena, being held at the Burton Manor in Livonia on October 26. Each year, this conference and expo highlights the latest technologies and applications in waste reduction and energy efficiency.

This event is designed for individuals who work in the environmental field and are interested in saving their business money through pollution prevention, recycling, and energy efficiency processes. This year’s keynote speaker is Scott Leopold, CEO of Leopold Bros. of Ann Arbor. Mr. Leopold will discuss the financial, marketing, and engineering challenges he and his brother tackled while creating the world’s first sustainable brewery and distillery, and how the Leopold Bros. turned environmental sustainability into greater profitability.

Originally targeted towards automobile manufacturers and suppliers, this event has evolved to be of interest to others in business and industry, local governments, and community organizations. With sessions to choose from including Greening the Supply Chain, Elevating Awareness, Green Manufacturing, Metrics, Energy Efficiency, Recycling, and Green Building, this conference has useful information for businesses of all sizes.

Pollution prevention products and demonstrations will be on display, as well as an area to recycle your old cell phones, pagers, and PDAs.

Registration is available online at www.michigan.gov/deqworkshops (click on “Upcoming Workshops”). For registration information, contact the Environmental Assistance Center at 800-662-9278, or e-mail at deq-ead-env-assist@michigan.gov.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

Revised September 8, 2004 by Pat Watson