A Look Back at 20 Years of Great Forest 

by Richard Fuller, President, Great Forest

1989:

Great Forest begins in my apartment on Madison and 30th. 

At the time, corporate American is still wary of being green.
I cold call businesses to introduce them to the idea of cutting costs and reducing waste through recycling and energy efficient programs.

The response is slow, but encouraging. Great Forest moves out of my apartment to the 51rd floor of the Empire State Building with windows looking out over many of the commercial buildings we would soon help to green.

1990 - 94:

Great Forest helps to set up hundreds of recycling programs.
There is some unexpected resistance. We have to deal with a certain organized faction that controlled most of the city's waste removal services. Bodyguards are involved at one point and a security system is installed when we move to bigger offices at 11 Penn.

1996:

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau indicts key players in the NYC waste hauling industry, opening up the market. We uninstall our security system.
Great Forest launches a new division to work on energy procurement and efficiency.

1997:

Great Forest moves to Two Park Avenue and starts offering ISO certification work.

Great Forest Management Services, a brokerage division, that offers turnkey solutions to larger clients is soon is a big hit.

1999:

Great Forest supports the launch of Blacksmith Institute; an international nonprofit dedicated to solving life-threatening pollution issues in the developing world. Blacksmith has since completed over 50 cleanup projects around the world and is currently engaged in over 40 projects in 14 countries.

2000:

At the start of the new millennium, sustainability finally becomes in vogue! The green movement starts to take hold with the U.S. Green Building Council and the birth of its LEED certification process. Great Forest is there offer guidance on LEED.

2001:

We are shocked and saddened at the lost suffered by one of our
clients-the World Trade Center.

Great Forest buys and renovates our own building in Harlem, at 2014 Fifth Avenue. It is as green as can be: a showcase for the movement. We expand our offerings into sustainability metrics reporting.

2009:

Great Forest celebrates its 20th anniversary.