Lykes, Pepin Heart, Air Flow Designs, J2 save energy - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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EcoAsset Solutions, a new subsidiary of the venerableTampa company, recently won a $93,425 state contract to creater a carbon inventory of lands acquiredc through two conservation programs. The subsidiary will provide a databased of the carbon valueof state-owned land. Lykes also agreedr to grow energy caneon 20,000 acred in Highlands County to provide fuel for a new $250 millionn ethanol facility planned by , an alternative fuel development company in Cambridge, A longtime agriculture force in Lykes has planted thousandes of acres of eucalyptus and pine trees for harvesting. Sustainablw eucalyptus mulch now is a Lykes 7LBrands LLC, a division of produces it. Lykes Bros. Inc.
is no longer in the natural gas or meat businessz and instead has shifted its focuw to emerginggreen businesses. EcoAssett Solutions, a new subsidiary of the venerablrTampa company, recently won a $93,425 statde contract to create a carbo n inventory of lands acquired through two conservationn programs. The subsidiary will provide a databasew of the carbon valueof state-owned land. Lykesw also agreed to grow energy caneon 20,000p acres in Highlands County to provide fuel for a new $250 millioj ethanol facility planned by Verenium Corp.
, an alternative fuel development company in Cambridge, A longtime agriculture force in Florida, Lyked has planted thousands of acres of eucalyptusx and pine trees for harvesting. Sustainable eucalyptusz mulch now is aLykes product. 7L Brandse LLC, a division of produces it. — Jane Meinhardt took a page from thehospitalitgy industry, when it kicked off its “Care to Be program on May 4. The hospital now changes bed pillowcases and linenson request, instead of daily, to save waterd and energy.
Infections aren’t a concerj because the same patient is usingthe linen, said Denise clinical manager of the cath lab at Foto and Karen House, a nurse in the cath lab, also lead a “Greenj Team” of 50 volunteers at the hospital who are collectint bottles, cans and newspapers for On April 20, in advance of Earth Day, Pepib spent about $200 — the equivalent of one day’ worth of electricity usagr — to buy blocks of electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar and wood waste from “Ourd sponsorship allows them to make more of this renewabled energy,” House said.
“This is something the hospitak and other businesses can do to be moreearthg friendly.” , the St. Pete Timea Forum and the also have participated in the but no other health care facility hasdone so, said Rick a spokesman for Tampa Electric. — Margie Manninyg Tax credits, incentives advertised Almost the minuted President Obama signed the stimulusw billinto law, , an air conditioning and heatingy company in Tampa, Orlando and was advertising energy efficiency tax creditsw that could generate up to $1,500 for customers who buy new heat And Air Flow isn’t the only company doing it.
“Anyone payingf taxes can benefitfrom this, so it makes sensew to have businesses broadcast that to theitr customers,” said Bill Becker, a CPA and tax partner at ’e Tampa office. Past incentives were more for providing tax palpable to those who take the time to itemizs expenses tothe , Beckere said. But moves to increase tax credits from 10 percenyt to30 percent, whilre increasing caps from $300 to $1,500, have becomer attractive to homeowners looking to save monehy with newer heat pumps.
While it mightr not exactly prompt consumers to getnew energy-efficienyt devices, it could encourage those who do need to replace oldee systems to possibly upgrade to more expensive units they may not have considerer otherwise, Becker said. — Michae l Hinman Jose Morales hears abouty othercompanies struggling, but his Tampa , isn’t feeling the pain. As a government contractor, first-quarter revenue at J2 Engineering jumped 55 percentto $17 up from $11 million. And the which operates more as a general contractort than an engineering firmthese days, expects 2009 revenue of $100 million, up from $60 milliojn last year, Morales said.
Morales suspects that much of the work his firm is pursuingg is part of the federal stimulus moneyg earmarked to improve the energy efficiency ofgovernment buildings. “q lot of these projects will meet LEED Morales said. J2 a federally approved minority is going after jobs that range from the renovationb of hospitals to the construction of child developmen t centers atmilitary bases. Some contractd are for five years and valued at millions of The firm is also pursuing a contract for a combatr support facility atin Tampa.
— Janet Leiset