Getting the Green
by Sarah Gilbert
Broomfield Enterprise Business
Monthly May 5, 1999 Most business owners would say that customer service
is their top priority, but for Vanessa Morganti, it is her only priority.
The 27-year old owner of Future Solutions, Inc. helps businesses find
rare and recycled products and recently Colorado's young Entrepreneur
of the Year from the United States Small Business Administration.
Morganti started Future Solutions two years ago while she was working
at Rocky Flats, the former nuclear weapons plant now in cleanup mode
southwest of Broomfield. A federal mandate required that Rocky Flats
purchase as many recycled products as possible for its operations, and
suddenly Morganti was in business.
"I had an opportunity and I jumped on it," she said.
Future Solutions has access to more then 5,000 recycled products,
and Morganti has found everything for her clients - from recycled antifreeze
to solar washing machines, she said.
"We don't tell them no, and they hear that too often," Morganti said.
Future Solutions gets most of its business from government agencies,
who must meet certain standards for recycled products, she said. But
interest from private companies is growing.
"It's crucial for the business community to know that buying recycled
is important. If you're recycling and not buying recycled, then you
are not supporting your efforts," said Erik Hoffner, who coordinates
the Buy Recycled Network for Eco-Cycle Inc., based in Boulder.
Most products that can be made from virgin materials can also be made
from recycled materials, Hoffner said. Morganti has a small room in
her office near Jeffco Airport that is stuffed with examples of recycled
products. Small pieces of building materials that look like granite
or wood, but are made of recycled plastic, are on display. She also
has samples of recycled paper and carpet..
"I love the fact that it's environmentally conscious," she said.
Morganti finds all of the recycled products interesting and says she
loves the challenge of finding the most difficult items. It takes tenacity,
perseverance and really good resources, she said.
"That's a pretty solid start," Morganti said.
Future Solutions will continue to grow with an explosive number of
recycled products becoming available and continued environmental regulation,
Hoffner said. About 100 Boulder businesses look to Future Solutions
for products, he said. "They are very important to us. They can find
anything in recycled from license plates to pencils. Future Solutions
is definitely part of a new wave of green businesses," Hoffner said.
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