Winners of Green Salem Business Challenge winners honored at ceremony

By John Laidler, Globe Correspondent

The four winners of this year’s Green Salem Business Challenge were honored at a recent ceremony. The four were selected from among nearly 50 businesses and organizations participating in this year’s Challenge. Begun last year, the annual Challenge is a friendly competition and recognition program in which participating businesses pledge to do everything they can to reduce their environmental footprint, adopt green "best practices," and increase environmental awareness among their employees, patrons, and the general public.

The "Best of Class" winners were selected in four categories, based on the size of the business. They were The Picklepot  for sole proprietor, single owner/employee business;  Ben & Jerry’s  for businesses with one to five employees; North Shore Community Development Coalition,  for businesses of six to 50  employees; and Salem State University, for businesses of 51 or more employees. There was also an honorable mention chosen for each of the four categories. Mayor Kimberley L. Driscoll presented the awards at the ceremony, held at Old Town Hall.

All participants earned a window sticker designating them a Green Salem Business Challenge Participant, with special sticker recognition given to the winners. The Challenge is a collaborative effort among the city, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, SalemRecycles, the Salem Renewable Energy Task Force, and the North Shore Transportation Management Association.