For the second consecutive year, retailer Ocean State Job Lot has been honored with a Sustainability Leadership Award from the Business Intelligence Group.
The Sustainability Awards honor people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission. Ocean State Job Lot (OSJL) was honored for its commitment to paving the way toward a net zero future by focusing on how it manages waste, energy and carbon emissions. These efforts include upgrading lighting and HVAC companywide, reducing waste while improving recycling systems, generating renewable energy sources, implementing EV charging stations, and more. Combining all these efforts allows OSJL to develop a carbon emission reduction plan that its leadership says will be the driving force behind its future plan to attain net zero.
In 2021, OSJL announced a partnership with Ecogy Energy to host the largest rooftop solar portfolio in Rhode Island. OSJL store locations in Johnston, Woonsocket and Richmond, R.I.are equipped with solar panels. The solar panels will generate roughly 11.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity over 20 years. Currently, OSJL has 2,100 solar panels installed across the three stores and is working to expand to other store locations.
“We are thrilled to be honored as a sustainability leader once again,” said Harry Oakley, Director of Energy, Sustainability, Procurement & Corporate Facilities at Ocean State Job Lot. “This award is a much-deserved recognition of our team’s commitment to doing all we can to reduce our business’s carbon footprint and to hopefully inspire others to do the same. We look forward to creating even more opportunities to make a positive impact on the planet.”
“We are proud to reward and recognize Ocean State Job Lot for their sustainability efforts,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group. “It was clear to our judges that their vision and strategy will continue to deliver results toward a cleaner, more sustainable world. Congratulations!”
The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.
Founded in 1977, Ocean State Job Lot is a growing, privately held discount retail chain with 152 stores in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, approximately 5,600 employees, and annual sales exceeding $800 million.
Ocean State Job Lot is headquartered in the Quonset Point Business Park at 375 Commerce Park Road, North Kingstown, R.I. More information at: OceanStateJobLot.com.
