Press Release
The Red Blazer Wins 2008 New Hampshire Sustainable Business Award
By: Amenico
Date:May 15, 2008
Source:
Amenico
Concord, NH – It’s probably hard to imagine being able to dunk your bread into a restaurant’s heating supply for a snack, but it’s just one of the amazing ways The Red Blazer has boldly revolutionized the idea of “going green”. Co ‐owner Sarandis Karathanasis recently replaced his boiler with one that burns used vegetable oil, which heats the Blazer’s water and saves at least $350 dollars a month on natural gas costs, not to mention the thousands spent to get rid of the used vegetable oil. “We’re saving money through lower fuel costs and by no longer having to pay someone to remove our used cooking oil“, explains Karathanasis, “but more importantly we’re doing the right thing.” To prove his energy supply can actually be eaten, he dunks a piece of Italian bread into the used vegetable oil barrel… “Try that with diesel”, he adds.
At the Red Blazer, reduce, reuse, recycle isn’t just a motto; it’s a mission to turn daily business into a green movement. The effort caught the eye of the NH Travel Council, which recently gave the Blazer the 2008 NH Sustainable Business Award for its dedication to the environment and its contribution to the tourism industry. It all started with the purchase of a glass crusher to handle the 600 to 800 pounds of glass discarded by the restaurant, which saved hundreds in bottle removal fees. It also launched a complete overhaul of the Concord facility. Now, along with recycling glass and reusing cooking oil, food scraps are saved for the two pigs recently purchased by the owners to ensure nothing goes to waste.
The recently installed vegetable oil boiler reuses the 50 gallons of used cooking oil generated each week to ensure the water stays hot. Thanks to customers, there’s an endless supply of fuel. But even if the owners stopped serving their popular fried foods, the boiler could burn regular heating oil without any trouble. What’s more, the boiler only costs about 10% more than a typical home heating oil furnace.
What started as a few simple steps to save money has launched a new company called Amenico, which offers homeowners and businesses 21 st century solutions to their rising energy costs. With co ‐founder Tony Giunta, this “green” company plans to expand operations, offering vegetable burning boilers for homes, retrofits for cars and trucks to run on veggie oil, and even wind ‐powered solutions to cut electricity demand throughout the region. “We’re honored to receive recognition from the NH Travel Council for our efforts to be kind to the environment without cutting corners in the kitchen. In these days of rising fuel prices and consumer concerns, we’re excited by the possibilities of paying it forward and providing real help to people feeling the pinch.”
The Red Blazer has become the “model ” for Amenico… a working example of how anyone can eliminate waste, preserve the environment, and save money. For more, log on to www.theredblazer.com and click on “what’s new.” And check out a picture of the vegetable oil boiler at www.amenico.com.