GM Honors Dealerships for Eco-Friendly Operations

1329

General Motors Co. announced today it is recognizing select Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac dealerships, including George Matick Chevrolet in Redford Township, for their eco-friendly operations and efforts.

“Within just 24 hours of the program’s launch, 66 dealerships signed up and began evaluating their performance against our criteria,” says Kurt McNeil, GM vice president of U.S. Sales and Service. “We think customers should know all the behind-the-scenes efforts our dealerships make to leave a smaller footprint on their communities.”

To date, 180 dealers have requested access to complete the Green Dealer Program’s performance assessment, which is evaluated against specific criteria.

Once approved through the program, the dealer will be given access to a recognition certificate and logo that identifies specific year participation. A dealer’s continuous year-over-year improvement will lead to ongoing annual recognition.

Eight dealers have achieved green dealer recognition for superior sustainability performance, based on proven track records in areas such as energy reduction, renewable energy use, water conservation efforts, recycling, on-site nature habitats, and community outreach.

GM designed the program to encourage dealers to continue these voluntary efforts and build a network for sharing best practices to help others begin or advance their sustainability journeys, McNeil says.

“We were impressed by how willing dealers were to share their accomplishments with their peers,” McNeil says. “They wanted to be listed as a resource for other dealers in evaluating investment and return on various initiatives. When more people begin to operate in a sustainable way, everybody wins.”

GM shaped the initiative based on insights from dealers who participated in a pilot program. George Nunnally Chevrolet in Bentonville, Ark., encouraged the concept of sharing cost-effective activities that dealers could implement during remodels or new builds, such as installing LED lighting or capturing rainwater from a rooftop.

“Although financial savings is what started our environmental upgrades, we’ve found we have like-minded people in our community that really appreciate the effort we made,” says Gan Nunnally, the dealership’s general manager. “We’re seeing that through our service lane and our sales. These are people who have not previously driven a Chevrolet.”