Four west Michigan businesses have received awards today from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment for their outstanding commitment to environmental community outreach. Receiving DNRE Neighborhood Environmental Partner (NEP) Awards were Pilgrim Manor, the City of Wyoming Clean Water Plant, Herman Miller and Mel Trotter Ministries.

Consumer's Energy selected the City of Grand Rapids as Michigan Customer of the Year for renewable energy efforts.

Grand Rapids has been names the most sustainable midsize city in the U.S. by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Civic Leadership Center and Siemens Corp.

Sequenom Inc. Grand Rapids received one of fifteen Corporate Investment and Community Impact (CiCi) awards in the U.S. for creating 523 jobs and $20.3MM in private investments (Trade and Industry Development).

Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester announced that Pilgrim Manor Retirement Community in Grand Rapids is the first retirement community in Michigan to become a member of the Clean Corporate Citizen (C3) Program, a voluntary environmental program that recognizes environmental stewardship at Michigan's facilities.

Kent County’s Waste-to-Energy facility has earned the distinction of becoming Michigan’s first municipal facility to be designated as a Clean Corporate Citizen (C3), and the 121st overall member of the program.

The city recently completed Phase II of the M-6 Trail a $3.3 million/9.7 mile 10 foot wide paved multi-use trail which connects with 15 mile Kent Trails system to the 45 mile Paul Henry Thornapple Trail. It also connects with the extension of the Ada trail system bridging the community of ADA with the Cascade and Forest Hills neighborhoods and adds an additional 10 miles of trail at a cost of approximately $3 million.

With the largest number of LEED-certified buildings per capita, a strong civic dedication to renewable energy and tremendous business support of green initiatives, Grand Rapids is widely considered one of the leading green cities in the world -- and has been for some time.