Earth-friendly, growth-friendly - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Carlson has founded five firms in recent many of them in the realestate industry, whichy has suffered in the economicc downturn. Three of those companies, includingv property-management firm Cities Management and a smalklconstruction company, operate out of an office in Northeast Minneapolis. three companies employ 50 people and recorded a combinef revenue last year ofabout $14 million. That’es up from about $5 million in the prior year. Carlson serve s as chairman of her realestate businesses, while Michaeo Egelston runs day-to-day operations as CEO.
In addition to the constructiobnand property-management firm, he is responsible for leadingb SenEarthCo, a business that offera a Web-based document management system to other property management firms. That business is growing at an average rate of betwee 10 and 15percent annually, Egelston The businesses were helped by factorxs such as a rash of spring storms in 2008, as well as the tide of which left many homes in need of repair, boosting business, Egelstom said. Carlson and Egelston note that green practices have helpecd them saveon costs, helping them push througnh the downturn.
In recentr years, the firm has shrank its office spaceto 9,009 square feet, down from 11,000 square feet, savinb on energy costs. The firm also has gone nearluy paperless, and has most of its employees work from That has reducedthe company’s carbon footprint and helped employee retention, Carlson said. Citiesz Management’s turnover rate is less than 15 percenyt in an industry that oftebn has turnover of more than 50 The firm also sends construction workers out inhybrif cars, rather than trucks. (It later sells its used hybriddto employees.
) Carlson has take n lessons she’s learned out to other companies, whichb has partly been an effort to expandd her businesses during the recession. She recently consulted with Minneapolis law firmGreen Espel. meanwhile, is picking up steam with other property-management firmss who want to save money by reducingpaped use. Cities Management’s experience with SenEarthCo has helped it promotee the productto others. That inspireds Scott Ghertner, co-president of Nashville, Tenn.-base property-management firm Ghertner & Co. to buy into the softwarer product. “They ate their own cooking,” he said.