GOBY GREENS THE MIDWEST
| In the ocean, gobies are the fish that help keep things clean. In commercial real estate, Goby does the same for the air, helping to make buildings more sustainable. In 13 months of business, it's coordinated green efforts at two dozen buildings. | |
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At the Fish Tank (Goby's office) at 211 W. Wacker yesterday, we snapped Chris Happ, Josh Schubert, Beth Benson, Ryan Nelson, and Ralph Scott. By facilitating between architects, general contractors, and property managers, Chris tells us it can reduce the time spent earning a LEED certification from 18 months to about six. In the past year, it's consulted with Tishman Speyer on its entire Midwest portfolio. Goby helps analyze energy use and costs, then finds the appropriate solution, whether its LEED, Energy Star, or some other alternative. (Related note: Did know Energy Star is an anagram for Angry Trees? Sort of ungrateful, if you ask us.) | |
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Goby's in the right town: Last year, USGBC reported Chicago held the No. 1 slot for LEED, with 88 buildings certified. Goby now has seven employees and is working on a portfolio of suburban office properties for Zeller Realty Group. It's also about to announce three new contracts with major Chicago building owners, signed within the last few weeks. Ryan and Chris founded the company in February '09 after selling their supply chain consulting business. | |
