Tampa, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/21/2011 -- On Friday afternoon, Earth Charter US held their 3rd Annual Sustainable Business Awards Luncheon and Ceremony at the University of Tampa’s Vaughn Center. Creative Sign Designs was honored for their focus on sustainable efforts on People, Profit, and Planet.

People (Employee and Community Wellbeing), Profit (Economic Performance) and Planet (Environmental Health) wholly describes the Earth Charter US Triple bottom line, a method of evaluating corporate performance by measuring profits as well as environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

Creative Sign Designs’ environmental responsibility is reflected in the way it conducts business. Creative continuously researches new materials and processes to improve their ability to create environmentally friendly signs. The company is dedicated to finding and implementing new technologies to continue reducing waste and streamlining processes, including the elimination of stocked, printed marketing and sales materials to prevent overprinting and needless paper waste. Other initiatives include development of electronic marketing and sales brochures and materials to enable electronic distribution of communications, and an active, company-wide recycling program for aluminum, paper, glass, steel and plastics in office and manufacturing facilities.

Committed to providing environmentally-friendly signs, Creative designs and fabricates signs that are beneficial to both the client and the environment. In particular, Creative Sign Designs uses the NovAcryl GR Series and is a NovAcryl Preferred Fabricator for Nova Polymers. The NovAcryl GR Series product is processed in plain tap water and bonds to a clear PETG panel that is non-toxic, Greenguard Certified, and has a minimum of 40% recycled content.

Other Eco-Friendly practices include the use of durable materials and modular construction enabling customers to extend or repair signage systems with ease and less disposable waste and the use of responsible suppliers when products are unable to be manufactured in-house. In addition, Creative Sign Designs uses laser-printed paper graphic inserts allowing clients to use recycled paper and update signs in-house, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) signage which is 85% more efficient than signage with neon lights, and sustainable ADA signage featuring nontoxic biopolymers and up to 40% recycled material.

Creative Sign Designs believes the best way to be a corporate Tampa Bay citizen is to be an employer of choice by retaining and recruiting the best workforce in the industry. In fact, they have increased their workforce by 18% in the past six months.

Employee programs at Creative include a comprehensive employee benefit program to all employees, company sponsored 401k plan, employee recognition program including monthly and annual awards, and monthly company-wide meetings including all employees.

Externally, Creative employees are involved in community activities such as the CEO Council of Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Professional Alliance, Florida Health Care Engineering Association, Florida Apartment Association, International Sign Association, Junior League of Tampa, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Tampa Bay & Co., CREW, American Marketing Association, CFHLA, and the Westshore Alliance. Additionally, employees have contributed to numerous organizations including Morton Plant Mease, Resurrection House, Baycare HealthCare System, Berkeley Preparatory School, Morean Arts Center, YMCA of the Suncoast, Angels After Dark, Habitat for Humanity, St. Petersburg History Museum, American Heart Association, All Children’s Hospital, Meals on Wheels, and most recently The ALS Foundation and Greater Tampa Bay Walk to Defeat ALS on Saturday, March 12th at the University of South Florida main campus.

The Earth Charter is an international declaration for a sustainable future, including sixteen principles on culture of peace, respect for nature, economic justice, and human rights, which thousands of organizations and individuals around the globe have participated. Sustainable Business Award recipients are invited to join the Earth Charter US Sustainable Business Coalition and connect in this worldwide “green” statement. The Earth Charter US Sustainable Business Coalition, founded in 2009, partners with the University of Tampa to promote sustainable businesses and provide educational forums and networking opportunities for environmental and social responsibility.

Under the direction of Earth Charter US Founder and Sykes School of Business Professor, Jan Roberts, four University of Tampa graduate business students selected the 2011 Sustainable Business Award winners. Nominees were judged based on contributions to the economic and environmental health of Tampa Bay, community involvement and citizenship, and employee programs, demonstrating their commitment and focus on People, Profit and Planet.

Although Creative has a national footprint, their corporate strategy is to have centralized management and fabrication in their hometown of Tampa, Florida. In the last five years, they have purchased a 44,000 square-foot facility and hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment, continuing growth in Tampa. As a fully-integrated manufacturer, they may source raw materials outside the Bay area, but they provide all of the value added labor in Tampa.

Creative Sign Designs has completed many LEED certified signage projects, including both interior and exterior signage for the Cancer Support Community in Sarasota, Florida. The Cancer Support Community is an international non-profit organization and the largest employer of psychosocial oncology mental health professionals in the United States: http://www.creativesigndesigns.com/portfolio/healthcare/cancer-support-community.aspx. To learn more about Creative Sign Designs, visit their award-winning website at http://www.CreativeSignDesigns.com.

About Creative Sign Designs
Creative Sign Designs, with national headquarters in Tampa, specializes in turnkey architectural signage solutions. Creative Sign Designs provides consultation, design, fabrication, and installation services for a full line of interior and exterior sign products. With more than 25 years experience providing architectural sign solutions, Creative Sign Designs is capable of successfully managing local, regional, and national projects. For more information, visit their award-winning website, http://www.CreativeSignDesigns.com or call 1-877-818-7180.