You know your day is off to a bad start when you come into work and there’s a team from “60 Minutes” waiting to talk with you. A couple months ago, a gentleman called the shop about an investigative report on Tom Dwyer Automotive Services. After a few nervous moments on our part, he explained that he was enrolled in an Energy & Resource Management program at Clackamas Community College. One of his assignments was to research and interview a local business, agency, or non-governmental organization and report on their contribution to the sustainability and health (both environmental and otherwise) of the local region, and he wanted to write about our shop. Whew! Of course we were glad to sit down with him, and wanted to share the results of his investigation…
TOM DWYER AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
Calvin Good, Investigative Report (#2), HUM/SSC 181, “Pathways to Sustainability”, James Grabill, February 21, 2011
There are many businesses, agencies, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the Portland Metro area that are committed to the environmental and economic welfare of the region. This is one of the things that make Portland, Oregon so attractive to people who care about advancing these issues. In determining which business or agency to profile for this report, I wanted to select one that deals with an industry that by its very nature is not environmentally friendly, and see what this business has done to minimize its environmental impact. The institution of the automobile has been one of the single largest contributors to environmental decline since its invention. None the less, it certainly seems that cars are here to stay in one form or another. With automobiles, also come repairs. How responsibly these repairs are done in regards to customer satisfaction, environmental impact, and overall community support and awareness is essential. One automotive repair facility in Portland, OR stands out in its commitment to meet all of these fundamental needs, while continually striving to find ways to improve its standing, and that is Tom Dwyer Automotive Services.
Tom Dwyer Automotive Services is located at; 503 Southeast Tenino Street Portland, OR 97202. They have been in business since 1981, and have been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since September 26, 1991. They currently have an A+ rating from the BBB, and have had no complaints brought against them in the last 36 months. (www.bbb.org)
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is a training organization for automotive repair technicians. ASE Blue-Seal Master Certified auto repair technicians are the high quality standard for the industry. All of Tom Dwyer Automotive Services technicians are either ASE Master- or ASE Blue-Seal Certified. This, in conjunction with other rigorous standards, has earned the facility the distinction of being one of only twelve ASE-Certified Blue Seal Facilities in the Portland area. Tom Dwyer currently employs 10 technicians, 4 Service Advisors, and 6 additional employees.
I spoke with Charles Letherwood, who is Marketing Director for Tom Dwyer Automotive Services, about the philosophy of the business Tom Dwyer Automotive represents. When asked about their commitment to running a sustainable, eco-friendly business, Charles stated, “Sustainability encompasses more than just environmental concerns. It also means providing the highest quality product for the customer possible. This creates customer trust, satisfaction and loyalty which in turn keep dollars invested in a local business that can then support a fair living wage for their employees. This is a cornerstone for a sustainable local economy”.
There are several policies and procedures Tom Dwyer Automotive has incorporated into its daily practices that adhere to environmental responsibility. A few of these are;
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Staunch recycling of all office supplies, shop supplies, motor oil, scrap metal, vehicle fluids, filters, tires, batteries, plastics, aluminum cans, aerosol cans, and even mercury that is used in certain switches and light fixtures on some cars.
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Used parts are returned for remanufacturing or reused when possible. Shop rags are laundered for reuse to reduce waste.
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The use of biodegradable cleaning supplies, non-aerosol brake cleaner, and a solvent-free parts washer that uses steam.
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Fuel used for the courtesy shuttle is E85 Ethanol, which is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Renewable fuel with fewer carbon emissions.
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Filtered water offered to customers in waiting area to eliminate plastic bottle waste.
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Employees turn off heat and lights in areas of the shop that are not in use.
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Offset carbon footprint of all shop operations including facility energy use, shuttle service, and test drives of customer cars.
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One of the few facilities in Portland to service high-tech all-electric vehicles.
These practices have earned Tom Dwyer Automotive certification by the Pollution Prevention Outreach program for taking extra voluntary steps to meet the most stringent environmental standards in the industry. The PPO programs’ goal and mission statement is; “To provide educational messages and technical assistance in pollution prevention to citizens and businesses”. (www.ecobiz.org) PPO is active in the greater Portland Metro area and has experts in air and water pollution, as well as hazardous waste.
Tom Dwyer Automotive Services support and work with several other organizations, both locally and nationally that foster environmental awareness and responsibility. A few of these organizations are; Willamette Riverkeeper, 350.org, Sierra Club, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
Willamette Riverkeeper, founded in 1996 is a non-profit organization. They support activities that support the health and cleanliness of the Willamette River, such as trash removal and habitat restoration. The belief that the river belongs to all and should be preserved for wildlife and public enjoyment free from pollutants is what drives their cause. (www.willamette-riverkeeper.org)
Much like Willamette Riverkeeper, Sierra Club is an Organization dedicated to the preservation of natural, pollution free waterways. Its work however covers a much broader scope. Since its founding in 1892 by John Muir, Sierra Club has been a dominant force in organizing grassroots efforts to protect the natural environment from the effects of overuse by humans and harm from pollution. They remain the most influential organization of its kind in America. (oregon.sierraclub.org)
The release of carbon emissions due to the burning of fossils fuels such as oil and coal is one of the gravest concerns of all environmental issues. It is believed by a great number of scientist that high concentrations of carbon emissions in the upper atmosphere due to human activity is bringing about a warming of the earth that is leading to melting of polar ice caps, rising ocean levels, and increasingly drastic weather patterns. One organization trying to combat this phenomenon is 350.org. They are instrumental in organizing demonstrations and rallies in over 181 countries around the world to bring attention to the issue of climate change. Their “Global Work Party” was held around the word to inspire people to dig community gardens, install green energy projects as well as send messages to political leaders to commit to carbon reduction policies. The “350” in the groups title refers to the parts per million of carbon in the upper atmosphere that is considered the maximum safe limit by leading scientist. We are currently at 388 ppm. The goal is to bring it below 350 ppm. (www.350.org)
One of Tom Dwyer Automotive Services crowning achievements, which began in 2007, is their Carbon Neutral Program. This program was started in partnership with Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The goal of a program like this is to help offset carbon emissions created by the use of fossil fuels and electricity by a business or industry. In this case, offsets are achieved through customers purchasing carbon credits for their vehicle. An annual fee is charged that is in direct correlation to the amount of emissions it produces. For example, hybrid cars pay $60, most non-hybrid cars pay $100, and gas-guzzlers pay $180. (tomdwyer.com) Money from this program goes to support the development of clean, renewable energy projects that result in a low carbon footprint, as well as the elimination of industrial and agricultural pollutants. Other perks that come with the purchase of carbon credits from Tom Dwyer Automotive are a Free Comprehensive Vehicle Inspection ($150 value). This gives customers a chance to do something good for the environment as well as develop habits to curb future emissions. (tomdwyer.com) As of January 2011, they have offset 1.4 million pounds of carbon emissions with the CNP. Quite impressive.
Bonneville Environmental Foundation is a Portland, OR based, national non-profit organization that supports the development of clean, renewable energy sources and all products that relate to it. Founded in 1998, BEF had a large role in developing the voluntary carbon offset market used by business and industry such as Tom Dwyer Automotive uses for their CNP. All of BEF’s Products are Green-E certified. Green–E is an independent consumer protection program that certifies greenhouse gas mitigation products. (www.b-e-f.org) (green-e.org)
Few industries can benefit from dedication to environmental well being more than the auto industry. With cars causing such concern for the future of the planet, especially in regards to carbon emissions, it almost seems an impossibility that things will improve as long as they are still around. This is what makes a business such as Tom Dwyer Automotive Services so essential. Their ASE certified staff is highly trained to curb carbon emissions from customer vehicles as much as possible, all the while providing a high quality service that creates loyalty to an ethical business model. Being one of the first in the industry to voluntarily reach out to work with local and national non-profit groups that promote environmental and sustainable causes, shows the level of commitment that Tom Dwyer Automotive has in doing what is right. To champion progressive causes in an industry that is as slow to come around as the auto industry, takes vision and leadership. Tom Dwyer Automotive Services can be held up as a model of sustainable and ethical business practices that the entire auto repair industry needs to emulate.
