EnviroMedia Issues National Small Business Conservation Challenge: $5K Prize

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ENVIROMEDIA ISSUES NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS CONSERVATION CHALLENGE: $5K PRIZE

Tips for Small Business Owners Help Employees Reduce Fuel Consumption

AUSTIN, TX, September 29, 2005 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- In response to President Bush's call on Americans to reduce gasoline consumption, Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia Inc. has issued a national challenge to small business owners to promote fuel conservation to their employees.

"As the nation's largest employer of gasoline consumers, small businesses can collectively make a huge difference in reducing fuel costs that save money," said EnviroMedia President Kevin Tuerff.

Based in Austin, Texas, EnviroMedia is the nation's only full-service public relations and advertising agency dedicated solely to improving public health and the environment.

"We support the President's call for consumers to conserve fuel. Conservation will lessen the strain on the nation's fuel supply as well as help keep rising gas prices in check," said Tuerff. "We're glad to see a much-needed spotlight on fuel conservation during these trying times, and also hope this in turn will raise awareness of what we can also do to reduce air pollution simply by the way we operate our vehicles."

To help employees find alternatives to commuting in a single-occupant vehicle, small business owners could easily implement these conservation strategies:

Encourage carpooling among employees by matching staff to other employees with a similar commute route.
Call the transit company to organize a vanpool.
Pay for staff to leave their vehicles at home and use mass transit. (In Austin, a monthly bus pass is only $10.)
Set up more telephone or video conference calls with clients/customers instead of driving to meetings. If you must travel to meetings, carpool with your co-workers.
Map out restaurants and eateries within a 1-mile radius of your office to encourage staff to walk rather than drive to lunch.
Allow staff to telecommute from home one or more days per week.
Set up bike racks and showers to encourage bicycle commuters.
Post tips encouraging employees to keep their cars' tires properly inflated, avoid drive-through lanes and jack-rabbit starts, combine trips, tighten fuel caps, use cruise control, and to keep their vehicles maintained.
Follow these tips for any business fleet.

"If every small business talked in earnest with their staff about temporarily changing their commuting habits and embracing easy, fuel-saving tips year-round, the amount of fuel consumption and air pollution reduced would be massive," said Kevin Tuerff, president and principal of EnviroMedia. "Research shows many people will enjoy the alternate commute, and they may make the switch long term."

"EnviroMedia is 'walking the talk' by implementing these fuel and pollution reduction measures in our small business," said Valerie Davis, CEO and principal of EnviroMedia. "We're asking our 42 staff members to track what they're doing to save fuel. Those employees who make a diligent attempt to conserve will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Any company can do this."

Likewise, EnviroMedia is offering $5,000 worth of pro bono marketing or public relations services to any U.S. small business that documents the largest percentage decrease in employee fuel consumption over a 90-day period. Contact info@enviromedia.com for contest details.

EnviroMedia is a public relations and advertising agency based in Austin, Texas, with a nationwide client roster that includes Abitibi Consolidated, Dell Inc., Green Mountain Energy, Nu-Kote International, Puget Sound Energy, Lower Colorado River Authority, North Texas Clean Air Coalition, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

EnviroMedia is also a certified federal government contractor for public outreach, marketing and advertising services. For more information, see www.enviromedia.com.

CONTACT:
Kevin Tuerff
or
Ted Burton
512-476-4368

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