Sarasota County has welcomed its first luxury beachfront resort and club to the Green Business Partnership. According to Sarasota County Recycling Coordinator Tom Franklin, Longboat Key Club & Resort, with more than 500 employees, 45 holes of championship golf, 38 Har-Tru tennis courts and five award-winning restaurants, has provided the management leadership and invested the resources and time necessary to implement environmental measures that span the basic to the state of the art.

“Sarasota County was a tremendous asset in our efforts toward green certification,” said Rick Benninghove, director of resort operations and green team leader for the resort. “They provided invaluable feedback and suggestions throughout the entire process. We are deeply honored to receive this important recognition, but it is only a part of our larger commitment to continually challenge ourselves and the community to do more to help the environment.”

”This club has truly taken a leadership role in environmental performance,” Franklin said. “It has installed two wash pad systems for cleaning maintenance equipment that recovers and treats 100 percent of the water used. Along with comprehensive recycling programs for the guest common areas, administrative, kitchen and maintenance areas, it has researched and implemented a user-friendly recycling system for its guest suites.”

Franklin says the resort has invested in solar-powered bell carts and is tracking energy and water usage and garbage generation to find further opportunities to reduce its environmental impact. “The Longboat Key Club and Resort’s management and staff are enthusiastically addressing their impact, and their environmental program is a model for other resorts in Sarasota County,” said Franklin.

The Green Business Partnership was initiated under a Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant and is open to all businesses in Sarasota County that implement required resource conservation measures and pass an on-site certification assessment. Each certified business receives a Green Business Partnership certificate and seal they can display to demonstrate their commitment to a healthy environment. They also receive an electronic logo that can be used on company stationary and promotional items.

Longboat Key Club and Resort is now listed in a Green Business Partnership directory that is available online at the Green Business Web site, www.scgov.net/greenbusiness.

The Green Business Partnership is actively seeking other participants. For more information, or to request a Green Business Partnership packet, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 and ask to speak with the county’s Recycling Coordinator.

For more information on the businesses currently certified under the program, visit www.scgov.net/greenbusiness and click on the link entitled, “Participating Businesses.”