Josh Proudfoot and Josh Skov of Good Company

Back in 2000, UO psychology grad and crew athlete Josh Proudfoot left a teaching job in Seattle to join his old rowing buddy Dag Hinrichs of LA and Hinrichs' cousin Josh Skov, then a grad student at Berkeley, in Eugene. Together the three founded Good Company to do research and consulting in sustainability. (Hinrichs has since moved to Vestas Wind Power in Portland.) "We got into this to help businesses and consumers make sustainable decisions," Skov explains. "Eugene has a legitimate shot at being a model sustainable community. We have the people and the political will to do it." GC has consulted with 15 colleges and universities to develop measures of sustainability. It works with ODOT and engineering and construction firms to integrate large projects into local ecosystems and economies. "The best example is the McKenzie River bridge at Armitage," says Proudfoot. "We're working with the watershed council to find the best use of demo material. We've got biodiesel in the cranes and heavy equipment, and compost-based erosion control." Learn more at goodcompany.com.