You don’t have to talk to Tommy Linstroth long before you know that “he ain’t from around here.” That Wisconsin accent is a dead giveaway. Linstroth came to Savannah, by way of California, almost four years ago to accept his current position as Head of Sustainability Initiatives at Melaver, Inc. -– a Savannah-based vertically integrated, sustainable real estate and development company.
“I saw a fantastic job opportunity for an environmentally friendly real estate company looking to go greener,” he says. “Coming from Berkeley, California, I thought: is this for real in Savannah?”
Fortunately for Linstroth, Melaver, Inc. – and Savannah itself – have far exceeded his expectation for a progressive, sustainable market. While the Pacific Northwest, California, and the northeast are often seen as the hotbeds for green development, Savannah has been able to develop the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified retail shopping center in the nation and the first LEED-certified McDonald’s in the world. Right here in Savannah.
“This city was built 250 years ago on the same principles of sustainability that we are incorporating now,” says Linstroth of Savannah’s embrace of sustainable development.
But is sustainability creative? We think so. The Creative Coast Alliance impacts Savannah by retaining some of the top creative talent in the area as well as by promoting the transition toward a progressive, knowledge-based society. That type of demographic epitomizes the type of place Tommy Linstroth wants to live.
“TCCa impacts our business,” says Linstroth. “Melaver, Inc. is more than a sustainable development company; we also seek to be an agent of change. Fortunately, we are able to partner with the The Creative Coast Alliance and other likeminded groups to help foster a progressive environment in which to work and live.”
