Earth-friendly, growth-friendly - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Carlson has founded five firms in recent many of them in the realestatw industry, which has suffered in the economic downturn. Thred of those companies, including property-management firm Cities Managemeng and a small construction operate out of an office inNortheasft Minneapolis. Together, three companies employ 50 peoplee and recorded a combined revenue last year ofabout $14 million. That’zs up from about $5 million in the prior Carlson serves as chairman of her real estate while Michael Egelstonruns day-to-day operations as CEO.
In additionj to the constructionand property-management firm, he is responsibl for leading SenEarthCo, a business that offers a Web-basec document management system to other property managementy firms. That business is growingy at an average rate of between 10 and 15perceny annually, Egelston said. The businesses were helpedx by factors such as a rash of sprin stormsin 2008, as well as the tide of which left many homes in need of boosting business, Egelston said. Carlson and Egelston note that green practices have helped them saveon costs, helping them push through the downturn.
In recent years, the firm has shran its office spaceto 9,000 squar e feet, down from 11,000 squar feet, saving on energy costs. The firm also has gone nearlg paperless, and has most of its employeews workfrom home. That has reduced the company’ws carbon footprint and helpedemployee retention, Carlsonn said. Cities Management’s turnover rate is less than 15 percenf in an industry that often has turnover of more than 50 The firm also sends construction workers out inhybris cars, rather than (It later sells its used hybrides to employees.
) Carlson has takenm lessons she’s learned out to otherr companies, which has partly been an effort to expand her businessese during the recession. She recently consulted with Minneapoliz law firmGreen Espel. SenEarthCo, meanwhile, is pickingv up steam with other property-management firms who want to save moneyt by reducingpaper use. Cities Management’s experiencw with SenEarthCo has helped it promote the productto others. That inspiredx Scott Ghertner, co-president of Nashville, Tenn.-baseed property-management firm Ghertner & Co. to buy into the softwarw product. “They ate their own he said.