PrintingForLess.com -- printing with the wind

In a unique announcement that helps to cap off what has been a huge year for "Green" efforts across the printer and printing industries, PrintingForLess.com is out today with the news that they'll be doing business in their Livingston, Montana facilities using electrical power generated by the wind, through their local Park Electric Cooperative.

In the company's press release, PrintingForLess.com Goes Green with 100% Wind Power -- America’s Print Shop Commits to Wind for All Its Energy Needs, PFL CEO Andrew Field describes the effort as follows, "Though wind-powered electricity costs a little more, we believe that as more businesses purchase energy from renewable sources, green power will gain momentum and go mainstream, eventually providing our country with the best of all worlds: energy that is clean, cost-effective and made in America."

In direct follow-up discussions yesterday, just as the company was preparing the final release, Field described the reaction to this newly-announced effort which he classifies among the "smart environmental efforts" that PFL is practicing, as an initiative which "both employees and customers are excited about. It's real and they're happy to be part of it." Field also reinforced his belief that PrintingForLess.com's step as being a force in the supply-and-demand chain that will promote and grow usage of renewable energy overall. "It's a chicken-and-egg dilemma, and we're taking the lead," Field said.

As far as the bigger "Green" picture, parallels to recent observations in the Managed Print Services are worth pointing to in this case. The positive employees-and-customers reaction to the "Green" priority in MPS engagements has served as the tipping point for success in numerous cases this year.

Regular readers will recognize PrintingForLess.com as one of the companies I've covered in this blog on at least a semi-regular basis. Part of my interest is based on PFL's Small Business focus and the trade-offs the company offers between in-house publishing and professional printing (see, for example, "Small Busienss Printing, when to stay in-house, when to go out-sourced"). And yes, part of my interest is that we're neighbors. PFL's home base of Livingston, Montana, is just one state up and over from Boise, Idaho. And now we know that Montana, in addition to being Big Sky Country also is Big Wind Country! Just a quick check on my Weather Underground status page shows Boise calm, but Livingston currently with 15 mph winds, from the West. (That's a windchill of -22 for those interested!)