2025 Winners

2025 Award Recipients

The Sustainable Business Awards are designed to recognize Wisconsin businesses for their efforts in developing sustainable products and processes and to recognize some of the amazing business leaders in the state. Each award recognizes both a large and small organization that has stood out in its specific category.

On November 15th, 2022, the WI Sustainable Business Council presented the 8th annual Sustainable Business Awards at the US Venture Building in Green Bay, WI.

Many businesses play crucial roles in responding to social and environmental challenges, and WI businesses are no exception. We received fabulous and well-written applications this year, making the judges job much more difficult.

If you would like to view past winners, click here.

The 2022 winners are as follows:

Celebrating Sustainability and Innovation in the Upper Midwest

The Sustainable Business Council is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Sustainable Business Awards! Each year, these honors spotlight companies across the Upper Midwest whose products, services, and leadership are driving positive environmental and social change. Through inspiring nominations and a rigorous selection process, we recognize organizations that are setting new standards for sustainability and innovation.

The 18th Annual Sustainable Business Awards were presented on November 4th in La Crosse, WI, bringing together leaders and changemakers committed to building a more sustainable future.

View pictures from the event here.
See past winners here.

2025 Winners

Sustainable Product
of the Year

Sustainable Product - Roastar

At Roastar, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a core foundation. Their Peel & Stick Tin Can Closure redefines eco-conscious packaging by combining operational simplicity with environmental integrity. Designed for small-batch roasters and forward-thinking brands, this innovation empowers businesses to reduce waste, lower emissions, and elevate product stewardship.

Roastar’s closure eliminates the need for industrial seamers, allowing for hand application and removing costly equipment barriers. This not only simplifies operations but also reduces energy consumption across the supply chain. The resealable design encourages refill culture, transforming tin cans into durable, reusable containers that minimize single-use waste and support circular packaging models.

Each closure includes a built-in one-way degassing valve that safely releases CO₂ from freshly roasted coffee, preserving freshness while maintaining recyclability. By simplifying sealing and promoting reuse, Roastar helps brands cut greenhouse gas emissions tied to packaging production, transport, and disposal. The multi-layer label construction ensures tamper-evident, airtight protection with minimal material use, and its compatibility with 4", 5.5", and 7" tin cans allows for scalable sustainability across product lines.

Roastar’s Peel & Stick Closure is more than a packaging solution it’s a commitment to environmental stewardship values.

Innovative Service
of the Year: Large Business

Innovative Service – CleanMile

Breakthrough’s CleanMile is transforming freight transportation by embedding sustainability into the heart of logistics decision-making. Designed to address hard-to-abate emissions in the transportation sector, CleanMile empowers shippers to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon footprint with precision and purpose.

CleanMile is GLEC-accredited and leverages granular shipment data to calculate emissions across for-hire and private fleet movements. It goes beyond measurement—offering actionable recommendations that balance sustainability with cost, capacity, and service. Clients are equipped with a tailored roadmap to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions, making CleanMile a strategic asset in ESG-aligned operations.

This service has catalyzed measurable impact across multiple customers. For example, post-implementation surveys show a 200% increase in contractors offering heat pump options after CleanMile-facilitated engagement. Clients have reported significant modal shifts, improved carrier efficiency, and expanded use of intermodal and alternative energy solutions.

CleanMile’s regional customization supports compliance with local air quality standards, such as California’s South Coast AQMD, while its expansion into marine and global freight positions it as a leading tool for international ESG reporting. The platform also fosters internal stakeholder engagement by creating a central record of truth and offering advisory services that align sustainability goals with operational realities.

By integrating sustainability into freight strategy, CleanMile advances environmental performance, social equity, and governance transparency across the value chain. It exemplifies the kind of innovation that drives systemic change and earns its place as a winner for the Innovative Service Award.

TLE Award – Kathy Kuntz

In a time when sustainability demands not only vision but relentless action, Kathy Kuntz stands as a beacon of transformative leadership. Her work across Dane County and the state of Wisconsin has redefined what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and measurable impact. Kathy doesn’t just advocate for change, she builds the infrastructure, coalitions, and momentum that make change inevitable.

From pioneering net-zero public buildings to decoding federal funding for local governments, nonprofits, and families, Kathy has empowered communities to act boldly and wisely. Her leadership in securing Inflation Reduction Act benefits for Forest Edge Elementary and the McFarland Public Safety Center exemplifies her ability to turn policy into tangible progress. She is the architect behind Dane County’s Climate Champions Program, the Heat Pump Collaborative, and the Sustainability Leaders Collaborative initiatives that have inspired hundreds of organizations and individuals to elevate their climate commitments.

Kathy’s influence is felt in boardrooms, classrooms, and living rooms. She mentors youth through the Dane County Youth Environmental Committee and the annual Youth Climate Conference, helping young leaders like Isak Drangstveit launch sustainability committees in their hometowns. Her work with K-12 energy education, her national leadership in energy efficiency, and her creation of accessible tools like the IRA explainer website have expanded the body of sustainability knowledge across sectors and generations.

What sets Kathy apart is her unwavering belief in people. She listens deeply, convenes wisely, and leads with humility. Her ability to bridge divides between business and government, urban and rural, youth and elders is a testament to her rare blend of strategic insight and human empathy. Kathy embodies the spirit of the Thomas L. Eggert Leadership Forward Award: she multiplies impact, nurtures networks, and leaves behind a legacy of empowered communities and enduring change.

Kathy Kuntz is not only worthy of this award, but she is also the kind of leader whose story will inspire the next generation of sustainability champions.

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Thomas L. Eggert Leadership Forward Award

Randy Bertram, retired Sustainability Director for WMEP Manufacturing Solutions

For decades, Randy was a driving force behind sustainable business practices in Wisconsin, pioneering innovative programs that have had measurable environmental and economic impacts. Beginning his career optimizing resource efficiency in manufacturing, he later spearheaded the Profitable Sustainability Initiative (PSI), a nationally recognized program that delivered more results than the other 49 participating states combined.

Through his leadership at the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP), Randy fought to integrate sustainability into services, forging alliances with key organizations such as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (WSBC). It was his vision that brough WSBC to WMEP for six years where he worked to expand the Green Masters Program and empower businesses to implement sustainable practices.

A thought leader in sustainability, Randy has influenced national policies, secured funding for sustainability initiatives, and mentored countless business leaders, consultants, and practitioners on the practical implications of sustainability. His impact extends beyond Wisconsin, shaping sustainability strategies across industries and fostering a culture where sustainability is a driver of business success.