Print edition: 
Green Biz Wichita, an effort to promote environmental stewardship among local companies, has begun adding business members and pushed its membership rolls up to 26 companies.
But its membership growth has not been at the pace one of its founders had hoped.
"Just being a nonprofit and getting off the ground I've learned is not an easy thing to do," said Dixie Larson, co-chair of Green Biz's executive committee and a principal at Kennedy and Coe.
Still, Green Biz has added a diverse group of companies since launching its membership drive in late January.
New member companies include Bonefish Grill, Key Construction, Davis-Moore Auto Group, Cargill Meat Solutions, Accent Lighting, Syndeo Outsourcing and UMB Bank.
Bill Watson, chairman and CEO of UMB Bank's Kansas region, said that internally UMB is working on ways to reduce its environmental impact and might be able to share its strategies with member companies as well as learn from what other companies are doing.
"We think it's an opportunity for us to work with people who are concerned about these issues," Watson said.
Green Biz's founding member companies are Kennedy and Coe, Massco, Westar Energy, Associated Advertising, Scholfield Honda and ServiceMaster by Best.
The group's mission is to advocate for green practices among local companies and provide formal education sessions on ways that businesses can lessen their impact on the environment.
Larson said she's not complaining about the pace of membership growth.
"We feel really good" about where Green Biz's membership numbers stand.
But she said the legwork involved in meeting with companies and making phone calls was more than she expected.
"It has been time consuming," she said.
The group has planned its first member event, a member mingle, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 6 at Scholfield Honda's Green Zone, 7017 E. Kellogg.
For more information, see www.greenbizwichita.org.
