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14 October 5 • 2017 jn jews d in the Green Michigan, and dozens of energy-efficiency consultants such as Jim Newman, who led the Whitney project, have completed projects in other nearby counties and say other businesses are start- ing to take notice. In 2018, Levin expects to close on more than a dozen PACE projects to the tune of $10 million. He and Newman have collabo- rated on the Whitney project with Liebler. Planning was in place this summer ; the physical work begins this fall; and the project should be completed by the holiday season. Although the current White House administration under President Donald Trump is roll- ing back many Environmental Protection Agency regulations, Levin said the wheels are already turning locally as corporations real- ize the economic benefits of cutting greenhouse gas emissions. "Every PACE contract reduces Michigan's carbon footprint," Levin said by phone as he grabbed lunch between meetings with potential contractors and PACE clients. "Most Fortune 500 companies have target dates of carbon neutral- ity. They do things based on sci- ence and dollars and cents. I don't see a reverse course [on sustainabil- ity practices] based on one man's ideology, which are at odds with science." Though he founded Lean & Green Michigan in 2013 as part of his Detroit-based Levin Energy Partners, his quest for a greener planet goes back further and is directly linked to his involvement in the Jewish community here and in other parts of the country. In the early 2000s, he protested oil drilling in the Arctic Circle with a Reconstructionist temple in Bethesda, Md. Now serving as president of Congregation T'chiyah in Oak Park, he is also founder and chair of the steering committee of Detroit Jews for Justice. "I am enthused about PACE According to Environmental Protection Agency estimates, approximately 3 million tons of office furniture and furnishings are discarded each year. Statistics for 2005 estimated that 8.8 mil- lion tons of furniture ended up in U.S. landfills. It's so poorly monitored that there is little data. That's where Ed Chudnow, president of Better Business Systems Group in Ferndale, steps in. For more than half a century, Chudnow's family business has been salvaging desks, file cabinets, chairs and other office equipment from the downsizing of corporate America and refurbishing and reselling the stock to small businesses and start-ups. In the 1980s, the company carved a niche market for itself by outfitting special events, starting when Detroit hosted the 1980 Republican National Convention. "There was a need to set up pop-up offices for hundreds of the media outlets and politicians in attendance" said Chudnow of West Bloomfield. "Eventually, wherever there was a national convention — Atlanta, San Francisco or New Orleans — it was my fam- ily business that supplied them with the typewriters, file cabinets, desks, tables and chairs that they needed to get their jobs done." These days, the bulk of his merchandise comes from compa- nies needing to rid themselves of desks and cubicles as workplaces become more fluid and mobile. He continued from page 12 JERRY ZOLYNSKY Levin, Newman and Liebler expect the David Whitney House project to be finished by the holidays. Ed Chudnow Ed Chudnow : Going Green With Used Office Furniture. NEW SERVICE! AIR DUCT CLEANING Schedule online at OriginalHagopian.com 1-800-HAGOPIAN (42 4 - 6742) INTRODUCTORY OFFER! $ 100 OFF AIR DUCT CLEANING Must mention coupon when scheduling service. Some restrictions apply. EXPIRES 10/31/17 Hagopian's state-of-the-art Cyclone Vacuum System fi lters out contaminants so your family can breathe cleaner air – feel the Hagopian FKėGRGNEGĀ 2149200 2198080 Get your free Investment Kit today! Visit www.metalsmint.com or call 855-360-4653 INVEST SMART! Build, Protect and Preserve your Wealth with Gold and Silver