Julie Lineberger and her husband, Joseph Cincotta, were acknowledged by a group of similarly remarkable business owners for their commitment to green & sustainable building practices, and for continually thinking outside of the box when it comes to design, on a brisk September evening on the shore of Lake Champlain. The 17th Annual Vermont Business for Social Responsibility (VBSR) Award Ceremony Dinner was hosted at the Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, VT, which has been committed to sustainability and preservation over many generations. Locally sourced food & beverages provided sustenance while the room buzzed with conversation, congratulations, and plenty of cheer.
So while the award was presented to LineSync Architecture, the catalyst for being selected to receive such an award was for the design of WheelPad. The VBSR Innovation and Inspiration Award recognizes VBSR member organizations that have accomplished innovative and/or inspirational achievements in the following areas within the past three years: Planet (Environmental Impact), People (Social Impact), and Prosperity (Economic Impact). The creation of Wheel Pad L3C hits the mark in each of these arenas:
Planet: We source and utilize sustainable and eco-friendly building materials with an eye toward energy efficiency. Wheel Pad can be easily customized to incorporate solar panels, gray water systems, composting toilet, etc.
People: Wheel Pad is designed with community and family in mind. Wheel Pad strives to keep families together and at home during transitional times, reducing costs overall and perhaps most importantly, time.
Prosperity: our long-term goal (or short-term, depending on how quickly we can grow) is to create a manufacturing facility in economically depressed Wilmington, VT. This facility would be employee-owned, providing high-quality, good-paying jobs in an area lacking non-seasonal employment. As we grow, we plan to open additional manufacturing facilities in other economically depressed quadrants of the United States, which would again provide high-quality jobs in needed sectors, while also helping to reduce the shipping/delivery costs of Wheel Pad for our clients.
The highlight of the evening for Julie was to receive a letter from Bernie Sanders' office, congratulating her and Joseph on their award. Well, that, and the fact someone found out it was her birthday, and the entire gathering sang her that song. . .