Happy Holidays from the GreenBox Intern!

Hello, all. It’s been a while since I blogged and as usual there’s a lot to catch you up on. First, a point of procedure: technically, I am no longer the GreenBox Intern. I have moved on to different (although, of course, not “greener”) pastures. As for the gaping void left by my absence, well…it’s already been filled. There will be a new intern occupying my desk (read: folding card table) in the very near future. Apparently there is no such thing as a “period of mourning” in the cutthroat world of Corporate America. I wonder if the girls in the deli downstairs from the office have forgotten me already. My only consolation about being replaced is the impending lawsuit if the new guy (or gal) even thinks about calling himself “the GreenBox Intern”.  Come up with your own title, punk. That’s part of the gig.

In any event, I will still be contributing entries to this here blog, and I’ve decided to address the approaching holidays and the New Year ahead. To that end, I’ve employed some technical wizardry to overlay the standard GreenBox with a festive nod to the Christmas season. Here are the goods:

I spent almost 200 billable hours creating this work of art and if you people don’t appreciate it you can all expect coal in your stockings. This holiday version of the GreenBox, like the season it represents, encourages one to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. That’s the idea, anyway. If it doesn’t, then you’re an unfeeling Philistine and you wouldn’t appreciate great graphic design if it bit you on the rear end.

Where was I? Ah, yes: the holidays are about family. And since this is America, when you think “family”, you don’t have far to go before you arrive at “pizza”. It’s an American holiday tradition to order a couple of pizzas on Christmas Eve and share them in front of a roaring television. And think how much easier it would be to enjoy those pizzas from a box that makes eating a pleasure and disposal a breeze – a present to yourself, your family, and the environment.

The holidays are also about reflecting on the year behind us, as well as the year ahead.  And what a year it has been for the GreenBox. There’s been an avalanche of exciting news, and a steady rise in the number of forward-thinking pizza shops and chains around the country who have embraced the GreenBox (much to the delight of their customers, no doubt). 2010 saw the GreenBox make incredible strides towards deposing the standard industry box, so much so that there’s little doubt of that paradigm shift becoming a reality in the very near future. 2011, no doubt, will be the year of the GreenBox.

And not just the GreenBox – 2011 will also see ECOvention expanding their product line with innovative packaging designs of all kinds. William Walsh is not content to just solve The Pizza Box Problem – he’s gonna clean up a few other wasteful packaging designs as well.

So stay tuned to this blog for updates in the New Year. And this holiday season, make sure you give yourself the gift of utility, environmental responsibility, and ingenious design – give yourself and your family... pizza, in the GreenBox. 

One of “The 15 Most Brilliant Ideas"? GreenBox

If we did a blog entry every time a news source or blog covered the GreenBox, we wouldn’t have time to get anything else done (and believe us, there’s a lot of “else” that needs to get done lately – big things are happening here at the GreenBox offices). So while we wish we could cover every bit of coverage we get, there’s just not enough time in the day. This is what is known as a “luxury problem”.

But every so often, something pops up on our radar screen that demands attention. Here’s a great example.

Business Insider, an online publication read by the cream of the crop in the business world, recently chose the GreenBox as #4 on their list of “The 15 Most Brilliant Ideas We’ve Seen This Fall”.

We’ve had word from well-placed sources that this publication tickles the eyeballs of executives and business big-whigs around the nation and around the world, so we’re giving ourselves a bit of a pat on the back for rousing their interest. The GreenBox shares space on the list with some of the most incredible inventions of the last year or so – and in our opinion, and in the opinion of the folks at Business Insider, the GreenBox more than deserves that rarified company.

Check out the article here, and keep in this in mind: this list represents the handful of products that will be changing the way the world works in the coming years. The GreenBox intends to do no less than that in the pizza industry, and we’re more confident every day that the industry is catching up to the genius of inventor William Walsh.

The standard pizza box that you’re used to might have made a “15 Most Brilliant Ideas” list back in 1950 or so, but it’s been a long time since then. It’s time for something new – the GreenBox.

Ali Baba Pizza Animates the GreenBox!!!

Ali Baba Pizza is the premier pizza chain in British Columbia and one of our most valued customers. Check out the rotating banner on their homepage featuring owner Mark Murr posing with the Ali Baba custom GreenBox!

As crazy as we are about them, they're even crazier about the GreenBox - so much so that they've put together this fantastic animated video demonstrating the unique functionality and appeal of the GreenBox pizza box.

The video features the snazzy-looking Ali Baba customized GreenBox. Concise, clear, and incredibly well done, this video is a wonderful depiction of everything that makes the GreenBox great - just as the enthusiasm of Mark Murr and Ali Baba Pizza is a wonderul example of everything that makes our customers great.

"Now THAT'S how you shift a paradigm!!!"

Yesterday, Ecovention CEO and GreenBox inventor William Walsh traveled to the gargantuan Boston Convention Center to accept honors for the GreenBox at the Responsible Packaging Awards. 

Selected by the Responsible Packaging Project, the honorees at the Responsible Packaging Awards represent manufacturers and designers focused on ecologically responsible packaging as well as innovative design. ECOvention received an award for the GreenBox, recognized as much because it incorporates 100% post-consumer recycled content as for its ingenious and intuitive design that increases functionality for the consumer and drastically reduces the waste traditionally associated with pizza packaging.

The event was sponsored by a who's-who of giants in the eco-minded world: the Organic Trade Association, Food Trade Sustainability Leadership, the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association, the National Cooperative Grocers' Association...and not least of all Whole Foods Markets and their forward thinking Green Mission. The event and the award further cemented the relationship between the GreenBox and Whole Foods Markets, which is growing by the day.

To hear William Walsh tell it, the GreenBox was the belle of the ball. Not to take anything away from the other deserving honorees, but it seems that (as usual), Mr. Walsh’s intuitive design stole the show and effortlessly captured the attention of the industry representatives and the press in attendance. To give you some idea of the enthusiasm generated by Mr. Walsh’s demonstration of the GreenBox, one attendee (a very prominent individual in the industry) was heard to shout, “Now that’s how you shift a paradigm!!!” – re-emphasizing the idea that the GreenBox represents a veritable sea change in the approach to food packaging in the 21st Century.

Mr. Walsh tells me that immediately prior to the presentation of the “Oldest Intern Award” (for which I was widely considered a shoe-in), there was a commotion at the front of the room and the event came to an abrupt and premature conclusion. I believe the award was withheld for political reasons too complex to summarize here. Sales Director Ned Kensing attempted to console me by offering me a ride on his motorized scooter, which I declined on the grounds of safety as well as self-respect.

Someday, I believe that my efforts will be recognized. Until then, I will watch from the wings as the GreenBox continues to get all the attention.

The GreenBox In The Carolinas: Wolfman Pizza Blazes The Trail!!!

You probably saw this coming, didn't you?

Normally I would say that predictability is a bad thing, but in the case of the GreenBox, I'm happy to report the same story over and over again: another forward-thinking chain has elected to better serve their customers and their planet - with the GreenBox.

Wolfman Pizza has now become the first chain Carolinas to use the GreenBox exclusively. Wolfman District Manager Bailey Dumnire had this to say (quite eloquently, I think):


"A lot of green products are eco-friendly, and that's great, but they also cost five to ten times more. What drew me to the GreenBox was its multiple uses; you can eliminate plates and get a storage container, all from one box. It's right in line with other pizza box costs, and a great way to be green and stay within reason as far as costs go."

Man...we oughta hire her! Couldn't have said it better myself. And on behalf of everyone at ECOvention, allow me to say that we're thrilled to add another valued customer to our roster.

XO

The GreenBox Intern

If You Took This Many Hits, You'd Be Dead - The GreenBox Video Blows Up AGAIN!!!

The simple, no-frills demonstration video for the GreenBox is on both YouTube and Vimeo, and has been linked to on a gazillion websites all over the world. It goes a little something like this:



That video has slowly and surely garnered tons of hits on both YouTube and Vimeo - but this past week saw a spectacular jump in the number of inquiring minds eager to learn about the GreenBox. On Vimeo, the GreenBox demonstration video garnered 118,000 hits in a single day (September 27th, to be exact). And over on YouTube, it looks like we're mere hours or away from 1 million total hits since this humble video was posted.


Thank you to all the enthusiastic fans of the GreenBox who have viewed the video and (we're sure) fallen in love with the product.


Now if I could only get that many people to read my blog, I'd be all set.


XO,


The GreenBox Intern


P.S. In response to a commenter on YouTube: yes, Alec Baldwin did in fact do the voiceover for the video, and I would like to take a moment to say that he was delightful to work with. Mr. Baldwin is a class act and the few hours we spent with him in the studio were a delight from start to finish - he even signed Sales Director Ned Kensing's motorized scooter! (Disclaimer: Alec Baldwin was not involved in the making of the GreenBox demonstration video in any capacity. Allegations of him being "a pleasure to work with" cannot be confirmed at this time. Sales Director Ned Kensing does in fact own and operate a motorized scooter, but it has not been signed or even seen by Alec Baldwin).

Twitter Chatter and Blog Bonanza - The GreenBox Social Media Round-Up

All the good news issuing from our offices lately has brought a fresh wave of social media chatter and blog coverage for the GreenBox. It's important to note that all of the following accolades and well-wishes are entirely unsolicited. The P.R. industry must hate the GreenBox - we've never had to pay a cent for widespread coverage of the product. People get one look at the GreenBox and their hearts are set aflutter (wish I could say the same for myself...). What follows is a partial breakdown of the attention the GreenBox has received in the past 48 hours alone.

From folks on Twitter:

• #Phil_Moad: "Pizza box that will change your life."

• #frameofmind: "Just enjoyed our first pizza to be delivered in the ingenious GreenBox."

• #ashlee47: "The GreenBox idea is pretty awesome. I hope ALL pizza places start using these!"

• #interactivemark [WARNING - EXPLICIT CONTENT]: "I don't say this type of thing lightly but this is the greatest f*cking pizza box in the history of the world." 

And, my personal favorite...

• #pudelnews: "GreenBox ist eine neue Pizzaschachtel, die das Handling und Aufbewahren von Pizzas erleichtert...."

From the Blogosphere:

• From the folks at GOOD Blog: "The humble pizza box, masterfully redesigned". (This article was re-tweeted like CRAZY by folks on Twitter). 

• From Phil Moad, design enthusiast and GreenBox fan: "This will totally change the way bachelors live..." (This was also all over Twitter in the past 48 hours). 

• From the core77 Design Magazine Blog: "...the GreenBox, a better pizza box that we can at least get a little more use out of before we throw it away..."

• From Slice: "You may have seen this video when it was on Slice last year, but it looks like its making the rounds on the web again..." (It sure is. And how!)

• From Pizza News (in the UK!): "...a design which will change the way we use pizza boxes forever..."

And of course, there were countless tweets and links to our YouTube demonstration video - I wouldn't be surprised if we hit 1 million views in the next few days!

Thanks to everyone who's been talking about the GreenBox on the net - folks like you are a huge part of making this box the new industry standard. It's only a matter of time...

xo,

The GreenBox Intern

News Travels Fast: Ali Baba Pizza & the GreenBox Make Headlines!!!

It was only yesterday that Canadian pizza chainAli Baba Pizza announced their pioneering decision to use the GreenBox; less than 24 hours later, that announcement is causing a whole lot of buzz and chatter up north.

An article from today's Times Colonist in Victoria highlights something that we've been saying all along - the GreenBox is not only a better pizza box for customers and for the environment, it's also a publicity-generating powerhouse. The article casts the GreenBox as an eco-friendly weapon in the battle for customer allegiance. Ali Baba owner Mark Murr is as shrewd about packaging as he is about PR - which makes him and his business a perfect match for the GreenBox.

And that's not all! The GreenBox was also featured on television up in Canada. Mark described the GreenBox thusly on CHUM's News at 5:

"We've been in the pizza business now for 20-plus years. I know [the pizza box] is the one thing that people have been trying to reinvent over and over. We've seen everything from plastic to recyclable to washable boxes. We've seen bags rather than boxes, and nothing has really hit the mark..This product [the GreenBox] I think is incredible - and the future of pizza boxes."

Ali Baba Pizza CEO Mark Murr with the Ali Baba GreenBox

Mark Murr is a man as eloquent as he is photogenic - although that Ali Baba GreenBox ain't bad-lookin' either.

XO,

The GreenBox Intern

Gourmet Pizza and Good Vino: Beatrice's Inferno at the Galen Glen Winery

Beatrice and the GreenBox pose for the cameras at the Galen Glen Winery.

Beatrice's Inferno is an ingenious marvel in the world of pizza-making: a wood-fired oven on wheels that cranks out critically acclaimed gourmet pizzas wherever it darn well pleases. And the man driving the oven (so to speak) is owner Jason Brown.

We love all of our customers, but Jason has distinguished himself as a true friend of the GreenBox with his tireless enthusiasm for the product. Most recently, Jason and the GreenBox made an appearance at the Galen Glen Winery, whipping up gourmet pizzas for Galen Glen's vineyard tour and wine-tasting. The hardest working man in showbiz (Sales Director Ned Kensing) was on hand for the event. As usual, the GreenBox was a huge hit with the hordes - as were Jason's unique gourmet pizza creations.

The GreenBox and Beatrice's Inferno - BFF's of the pizza world.

Thanks as always to Jason Brown and Beatrice's Inferno for their vocal support of the GreenBox - one fine example of the power of the people pushing this product to the top of the pizza packaging pile (try saying that 5 times fast).

XO,

The GreenBox Intern

The GreenBox Heads North with Ali Baba Pizza!!!

In the past few months, the GreenBox has been stampeding all over the United States and beyond. We've added customer after customer to the list of forward-thinking folks who recognize the GreenBox as a superior product and the new way forward in pizza packaging. Before I get to today's big news, allow me to briefly summarize our progress thus far.

The GreenBox family has seen tremendous growth in the past few months alone: Whole Foods Markets is adding the GreenBox to more and more stores as we speak...local chains Pi Pizzeria in St. Louis and the New York Pizza Department in Arizona have been added to the list of American chains using the GreenBox...Sigma Q (an absolute giant of manufacturing in Central America) represents the progress of the GreenBox around the globe...I could go on, but I've got news to deliver.

Drum roll please: Canadian chain Ali Baba Pizza is hopping on the GreenBox train, and we here at ECOvention couldn't happier. I'll let Ali Baba CEO Mark Murr do the talkin' for me:

“We travel all over the world looking for new ideas, and we are excited to introduce the GreenBox to our customers and to pioneer its use in British Columbia.”

We couldn't agree more, Mark - and we're thrilled to be part of Ali Baba's transition to the pizza box of the 21st Century. As the first Canadian chain to transition to the GreenBox, Ali Baba Pizza is blazing a trail amongst our friends to the North.

And check out that amazing box (see above)! The Ali Baba GreenBox is giving the Pi Pizzeria version a run for its money!

Disclaimer from the GreenBox Intern: Excuse Me If I Seem Contented

Hi, all. It's the GreenBox Intern, with a brief disclaimer for my fan(s).

If you're a devoted reader of the GreenBox Blog, you've probably noticed that I've been uncharacteristically positive of late. You might even find yourself missing the cynical, bitter tone of my previous blog entries. I am well aware that some of my biggest fans are those who take pleasure in my personal suffering. This blog was once a chronicle of my ignominy and pain; it has slowly evolved in to a story of success and positivity. Despite my best efforts to remain mired in fear and self-loathing, I have been elevated to a new plane of positivity by the smashing success of the GreenBox.

The fact is, we've had such an avalanche of good news over the past few months that it's been hard for me to stay in touch with my negative side. I would like to apologize to those readers who have come to expect and, indeed, to thrive on my depression, anxiety, and deep-rooted sense of personal failure. Rest assured that I am still beset by these problems in my personal life and that I continue to have trouble meeting my own eyes in the mirror...but on a company level, I can't help but celebrate the meteoric rise of the GreenBox. This product is taking off in a big way, and I feel compelled to set aside my own feelings of spiritual bankruptcy (which remain profound) to share in the good news!

Kumbaya, my friends. Kumbaya.

Positively Yours,

The GreenBox Intern

The GreenBox: On the Road Again!!!

Recently, the GreenBox was invited to make an appearance at the World Plaza Hotel and Trade Center in Marlborough, MA. The GreenBox was invited to the show under the auspices of distribution giant PFG/Roma Foods and their Main-Man-in-Massachusetts, Peter Gallant.

When the GreenBox is invited somewhere, the GreenBox doesn't go alone. The GreenBox can't drive, after all. That's where Sales Director Ned Kensing comes in (he can't drive either, in my personal opinion, but maybe that's just residual trauma from the past. You'd feel the same way if you had endured a childhood of hair-raising, near-death experiences in a car with him).

A tireless workhorse as always, Ned did not hesitate to accept the invitation and rise to the occasion.

Ned was up at dawn loading up the truck with GreenBox samples and display materials. He was on the road before the sun was up, and arrived at the Performance Food Group/Roma Foods event bright and early for pre-show pow-wows with the bigwigs.

According to Ned, the GreenBox was such a hit with the crowds that he was unable to step away for a meal or a bathroom break until about 4 pm. All things considered, Ned handled the situation well and was able to avoid any (noticeable) incidents of incontinence. I would have been happy to accompany Ned on the trip and lend a hand, but I'm still in intensive psychotherapy following my nervous breakdown at a previous trade show event. I'm not built for the limelight.

Imagine that, though - the GreenBox is a product so popular, a product that makes crowds so ravenous for samples and information that this lone superstar of sales could not even excuse himself to use the restroom, let alone eat lunch. (Incidentally, "lunch" for Ned usually consists of washing down a Cliff Bar with half a bottle of apple-cider vinegar. He swears it's great for you - I swear he's certifiable). Certifiable or not, by all accounts it was a fantastic success for the GreenBox and another triumph for Sales Director Ned Kensing.

And look at that pic! Incontrovertible photographic proof that the GreenBox is sweeping the nation! Represented at the show were the customized boxes from just a few of our wonderful customers - Pi Pizzeria, the New York Pizza Department, Ali Baba (a Canadian chain, about whom more will be written soon), and last but by no means least, Whole Foods! Not a bad roster - and it's growing by the minute.

Special thanks to PFG/Roma Foods and in particular to Roma's Peter Gallant.

Whole Foods? How 'Bout "Whole Country"?

The GreenBox continues its inexorable march across the Untied States! We’ve added two more Whole Foods regions to the GreenBox family.

In the South Region, 20 Whole Foods Market locations will be using the GreenBox to serve customers at their take-away brick-oven pizza counters; meanwhile, in the Florida Region, 16 stores are welcoming the GreenBox with open arms.

And don’t forget that the GreenBox is already being used at 30 Whole Foods Market locations in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Add it all up, and what do you get? Something that feels a lot like a "movement". Specifically, a movement away from old, inferior pizza packaging and towards something new and innovative - our GreenBox. It’s a movement that we’re thrilled to be making with Whole Foods Markets.

Stay tuned as always for more good news…and I apologize for not being my usual bitter, cynical self lately; things have just been going too darn well…

XO,

The GreenBox Intern

The World Is Flat: The GreenBox Going Global!

Ok, folks…try to keep up with me here.

There’s been a flurry of activity surrounding the GreenBox over the past couple of months, and I understand if you’re feeling overwhelmed; Whole Foods...the Fox Pizza Bus...Beatrice’s Inferno...The New York Pizza Department...Pi Pizzeria...Arturo’s…the list of small businesses, chains, and national corporations using the GreenBox is growing every day. I recommend that you get a Moleskin notebook (favored by both Hemingway and Picasso) and try to keep a running tally of GreenBox conquests as we continue to pop up all over the United States.

Did I say the United States? Pardon me; I misspoke. I meant ‘the world”. In the latest bit of good news concerning the GreenBox, we are now working with Central American manufacturing giant SigmaQ.

I recently spoke via email with the head of R&D at SigmaQ, the charming and worldly Leo Braun, about his attraction to the GreenBox and his vision for the future of the product in Central America. As is the case with all the relationships we have developed around the GreenBox, Mr. Braun was positively effusive in his affection for and belief in the product.

Under the auspices of the SigmaQ empire, the GreenBox will be manufactured in three Central American locations: Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Mr. Braun shared his thoughts on the product and its potential around the world:

“I have been in the packaging business for more than 30 years, mostly in production and Research & Development activities. I have always considered myself practical in regards to design; for me, a product has to be sober and functional. The Green Box is an advantageous design for the pizza consumer; all pizza boxes should work like this! It is a simple idea with a minimum of extra cost that is of maximum benefit to the consumer. If I personally had the choice to decide what box my pizza comes in, I would most certainly choose the Green Box. And I’m sure that my customers will feel the same way. Nobody is going to refuse to use a product that is simply better than the one they are used to.”

Thanks, Leo – we couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Be sure to check out SigmaQ’s website. And if you’re reading this in Central America, keep your eyes peeled – you should be seeing the GreenBox very soon.

The New Pi Pizzeria GreenBox Is Turning Heads!

When's the last time you heard someone describe a pizza box as "sexy"? Unless you run with a very odd crowd, you've probably never heard that word applied to food packaging of any kind. But that's the only way to describe the GreenBox now being carried by the (decidedly sexy) Pi Pizzeria.

Take a gander at that box. Drink it in. Don't be surprised or disturbed if you start to feel...certain feelings. It's OK; we're all friends here. There's nothing wrong with being attracted to a pizza box - as long as it's the GreenBox, of course. (As for those hopelessly outdated standard pizza boxes, I wouldn't be caught dead with one of those - I have standards).

We gotta hand it to the folks at Pi Pizzeria; that GreenBox is just plain pretty. I wouldn't be surprised to see a group of St. Louis construction workers whistling and cat-calling as a Pi Pizzeria GreenBox breezes by them on the street. "Hey! Babe! Where ya goin'?? I just wanna talk to ya!"

Don't be embarassed; feel free to return again and again to check out that pic! And check out Pi Pizzera - the only pizza restaurant we've come across that has been personally touted by the President of the United States (also known as the Leader of the Free World). That's a heck of an endorsement...and that's a heck of a good-looking GreenBox.

Things are getting exciting, folks...

Arizona-Based Chain NYPD Is Going Green(Box)!!!

Good news for desert-dwellers who love pizza as much as they love Mother Earth!

Arizona-based chain New York Pizza Department (NYPD) is introducing the GreenBox in all 10 of its locations. Rich Stark, CEO of NYPD Pizza, shares his thoughts on the decision:

“We were immediately sold when we heard about the GreenBox. We can’t wait to introduce it to our guests and we hope that we can pioneer its use in the Valley.”

As do we, Rick! And we share his confidence; in our experience, once consumers experience the GreenBox firsthand, they don’t look back. Teaming up with NYPD is another huge step towards making the GreenBox the industry standard.

For our part, ECOvention is thrilled to be supplying the GreenBox to the New York Pizza Department and their hungry (and eco-conscious!) fans in Arizona. Quoth CEO William Walsh, “We are thrilled to see NYPD Pizza become the first pizzeria chain in the nation to transition to the GreenBox. Furthermore, we are proud to be working with a company that shares our mission to promote innovative and responsible food packaging.”

Whether you’re from Arizona or not, feel free to show NYPD some love. And if you are an AZ local, get ready to experience their delicious pies in a whole new way – in a GreenBox!

For more information about NYPD Pizza, visit www.aznypdpizza.com or follow them on Twitter: @NYPD_Pizza and Facebook: New York Pizza Department.

More Passionate Testimonials from Satisfied Customers!!!

I’ve said it a million times: the truly amazing thing about the GreenBox is the way it inspires the people who use it. To be honest, we haven’t had to worry much about publicity or marketing for one simple reason: the people who use the GreenBox quickly become almost evangelical about their experience. Once they’ve gotten a taste of how the box works, how it makes life easier and improves the health of the planet, people are suddenly moved to extol the benefits of the product all on their own - I swear, we don't pay 'em! Something about this nifty pizza box really seems to loosen people’s tongues. We feel there is no greater testament to the viability of the product than this tendency it has to effortlessly get people talking.

More often than not, GreenBox customers take it upon themselves to promote the product, dutifully spreading the word and winning converts in their local communities and nationwide. It's not every new product that generates that kind of self-sustaining publicity, and we here at ECOvention could not be more thankful to the folks who truly love the GreenBox and who use all sorts of outlets (print media, social networking sites, blogs, etc.) to make their feelings know to the world at large.

Case in point: this fantastic video produced by Arturo’s Osteria and Pizzeria in Maplewood, New Jersey. Dan Richer, the owner and chef at Arturo’s, was one of the very first person in the nation to latch on to the GreenBox and really fall in love with it – and you can feel the love in this video!

The video is posted below, but you can also access it here, on the beautifully maintained website for Arturo’s. If you’re in New Jersey, you must stop by and sample their amazing wood-fired pies; in fact, if you’re in the tri-state area, their pizza is well worth a day trip. Stop by their site and show them some love!



XO

The GreenBox Intern (The Old One)

P.S. Credit goes to YoungIntern (Emani) for finding this video on the Wild West of the internet - the rest of us had missed this one until today!

Sustainable Directions Internship

For the past month, I have been interning at ECOvention, LLC through a program by Triskeles called "Sustainable Directions". About thirty kids from Urban Assembly schools were set up at different small sustainable businesses to learn about how the "Triple Bottom Line" affects most businesses. "The Triple Bottom Line" is a term based on People, Planet, and Prosperity/Profit. Through weekly seminars we, the interns, discussed different values one should have as a working adult.

At ECOvention I've learned a lot! This included both business and inter-office relations - it's been a valuable experience to see how people can work together effectively for a product they all really believe in. I loved my first intern experience and luckily for me it doesn't have to end now - they've asked me to stick around as long as I can! Apparently, Sean (OldIntern) suffered a nervous breakdown while trying to change the GreenBox user name on Facebook, so I have to step in and handle those kinds of things from now on...

At the Culminating Celebration, in groups of six we presented our own "Triple Bottom Line Projects" with plans for sustainable businesses and thanked out work cites! William Walsh, Jennifer Wright, and Ned Kensing came to show support. Sean, on the other hand, was weird as usual: he complains about being left out of everything, but I invited him, and he didn't show up! He claims he tried to send me a Facebook message about it, but it triggered his PTSD and he blacked out. Like I said, I've learned a lot about working with..."interesting" personalities. I hope OldIntern gets the professional help he so clearly needs.

Still, the night was as enjoyable as this whole month with ECOvention has been, and I am so glad I was given the chance to stick around and learn more!

The GreenBox Takes A Ride on the Fox Pizza Bus!

Have you ever strolled into a food parlor and greedily eaten a bunch of samples? Has the store owner looked at you with an attitude because of this? Well, have no fear, moochers! At the LA Street Foods Fest you are welcome to taste as many samples as you like and you won't be given guilt-inducing looks by vendors. At this event there are more than 60 providers with their best dishes.

Among the group on July 24th was the incredible Fox Pizza Bus. And guess what they were using to deliver their delicious and unique creations? You guessed it: the GreenBox! They received great reviews about the product throughout the day! Though they're extremely busy as usual (and deservedly so) they were generous enough to share these photos with us here the GreenBox blog. So take a moment to toast the GreenBox on it's red-carpet day in Los Angeles. (In the photos is the marketing director for The Fox Pizza Bus, Jordan Hieshetter.)

YoungIntern Takes Faux-Environmentalists To Task!

YoungIntern (aka Emani) made an interesting discovery the other day: there is a word for those folks who tacitly support the idea of eco-friendly initiatives, but who don't actually bother to incorporate them in to their lives. Not that we here at ECOvention are judging anyone - it's just good to keep up on your vocabulary. Take it away, YoungIntern!

_____________________________________________________________________________________


This week is my last week with ECOvention -- a moment of silence please... Thank you!

For the past few days I've been researching the top 100 Pizza Chains - our future customers, in other words.

Today was slow and tiring, so I finished that up and took a quick break to snack and get my energy up. I was looking stuff up on the Urban Dictionary, to catch up on slang that I'm too embarrassed to ask friends about (I'm 15, I should know these things). I came across the word CONGREENIENT, which is the practice of recycling, or being green, only when convenient. A congreenient person is one who only recycles when it is convenient to do so.

Now, how many people do you know that are congreenient? Are you congreenient? I believe most people in the world are congreenient: they care about the environment... just not enough to constantly go out of their way to recycle or be eco-friendly.

People who act this way aren't horrible; they do make some effort to do right by the earth every now and again. It would just be nice to have everyone do what right for this beautiful planet, but unlike Julia Roberts we all can't slap $20 million into solar powered homes... so ECOvention will stay eco-friendly with our very affordable and effective GreenBox. It's an easy way for businesses and consumers to avoid being called CONGREENIENT!!!

A Fleeting Glimpse of 2010's Most-Covered Invention...The GreenBox (duh)!

After watching "Let’s Do Lunch" on NBC-Philadelphia, you may find your mouth watering and your stomach growling - especially when the segment features the wood-fired pizza-making genius of Jason Brown, owner and operator of the coolest pizza-dispensing vehicle in the world.

But let’s not forget that we’re tuning in for the GreenBox as well. Yes, we were in the video, in a "blink-and-you-missed-it" sorta way. Give it another watch, and around 45 seconds in, you'll see some GreenBoxes laid out as part of a glorious display of Jason's pizza. Jason has been a loyal customer and an outspoken advocate of the GreenBox, and for that we salute him - not to mention that his pizzas are both wildly creative and absolutely delicious.

The GreenBox and Beatrice’s inferno have to be the most convenient pair ever. A wood-fired pizza oven in a trailer and a box that can be used as plates! It doesn’t get any better than that. Check out the video below!!!

Media: Old & New...Interns: Old & Young

Coverage of the GreenBox in the media just keeps on coming. Here's YoungIntern with an update on what she's been up to the past few days at ECOvention:

Lately, I’ve been updating the media list for the GreenBox. It’s pretty simple and quick once you get into it. This morning I was just looking for anything that we may have missed; new articles or recently added blog posts about the GreenBox, etc. I came across a sites chattering about the recent goings-on between Whole Foods and the GreenBox. Two links are here: http://bit.ly/doYedU and http://bit.ly/cIxdt5 Check out the news… The GreenBox is really taking off!

YoungIntern also had the opportunity to accompany CEO and GreenBox inventor William Walsh to the FoxBusiness.Com studios this morning for a segment about the GreenBox which aired at 12:30 PM eastern time. I was watching live here at the GreenBox offices while eating brownies and drinking a tall glass of milk...feet up on the desk...it's great when you know for a fact that the CEO isn't around, because you're watching him on the internet. Click here to check out the segment, won't you?

Today at 12:30 EST - The GreenBox Live on Fox!!!

Once again, the media has come a-knockin' on the GreenBox door...ECOvention CEO and inventor of the GreenBox William Walsh will appear live today at 12:30 pm Eastern Standard Time in a segment for FoxBusiness.com LIVE, which is not part of Fox Business' "Strategy Room".
Set your Tivo's and tune it at 12"30 for a live demonstration of the GreenBox. Fox likes to call it "the pizza box for the 21st Century". We can get behind that.

The Final Video

XO,

OldIntern

The GreenBox on The Boob Tube - AGAIN!

When it comes to generating exposure, the GreenBox is an absolute monster. We shan't make any bones about it: this product is a true publicity juggernaut. Just witness the way the GreenBox keeps popping up on TV, on the radio, in newspapers, and all over the internet. Some people can't even BUY this kind of exposure. Poor slobs.

The latest case of "all our press is good press" comes to us courtesy of WPIX News right here in NYC. Watch the clip below and you'll see Chef Edward Sylvia of Pizza by Cer te demonstrating the best way to make his "Midwestern Breakfast Pizza". He also stops along the way to introduce the novel functionality of the GreenBox to the WPIX audiences. Our logo gets some good face time and proves as always that the GreenBox is indeed ready for its close up.

Pizza by Cer te is located at 132 East 56th Street between Park and Lexington. But before you go grub on some great organic pizza, watch the video below. And when you do stop by, be sure to thank Chef Sylvia for doing the right thing - putting his pizzas in a box worthy of them and worthy of his customers - the GreenBox!!!

 

YoungIntern's Getting the GreenBox Out There...

Leave it to "YoungIntern" to bring the GreenBox up to speed vis a vis "these kids and their Internet". GreenBox NY now has an official MySpace page loaded with pics, articles, and videos - all laid out clearly and tastefully by Y.I.

She is now working on our soon-to-be-unveiled "official" Facebook page. And once she's got it up and running, we expect you all to flock over in droves. For now, check out the awesome content on the MySpace page to tide you over. And of course, we're still tweeting away on Twitter. Follow us everywhere - do don't think it's creepy!

XO,

OldIntern (O.I.)

YoungIntern Develops A Rare Disorder: "Recycling OCD"

Note from OldIntern: Our new intern Emani, aka YoungIntern, sent me the following blog entry to review and post. As usual, the blog is well-written, entertaining, and insightful. But frankly, I'm a little worried about her. This whole paper-sorting thing is a wonderful idea and a boon to our environment, but I just hope we haven't created a monster. Emani, you're only 15 - you should be lighting paper on fire, not sorting it in to ecologically responsible piles! Just kidding - you're an inspiration to us all.

Read Emani's blog entry below. Thanks, YoungIntern!

___________________________________________________


At the end of the school year, students are allowed to determine what they want to do with their items. I’ve always brought massive amounts of unnecessary books and paper home. This year I really didn't want much of the hassle, so I just kept what I might need for next year.

While cleaning my room this weekend, I started going through the stuff I brought home. Now prior to my internship with GreenBox I would’ve thrown the loads of papers I didn’t need in a regular garbage bag and called it a day. But now I have this restored urge to help the environment, so I sat down and went trough every single sheet of paper and made four stacks: unwanted lined paper with one side or more blank, unwanted paper with one side blank, paper I may need to look over with one or more sides used, and unwanted paper with both sides used. All the paper I don’t want or need that has one or both sides blank will be stored in a manila folder as “waste paper” or scrap paper I can use for drafts or random ideas, the paper I don’t want with both sides used will be recycled, and the paper I do want or need will go in another folder for important resources.

This is the first time I’ve really gotten into detail about recycling, besides separating plastic, paper, metal and glass. I feel somewhat accomplished, but I’m not fully done with the task. I really just wanted to be done with my room so I set the paper aside so I can continue later.

In the GreenBox offices, I’m currently working on the GreenBox MySpace page. It’s coming along slowly but surely. I’m having trouble creating scroll boxes around our YouTube videos, mostly because I’m distracted by the scent of vinegar and cod liver oil wafting over from the desk of Sales Director Ned Kensing. His brother Sean has assured me that this is perfectly normal behavior. For Ned, that is.

By the end of this week, most likely Wednesday or Thursday the Official GreenBox Business page should be up and running.

Keep up with our progress on our Twitter page (@GreenBoxNY)!

That was delicious. Now what am I supposed to do with this thing?

In general, I don’t take my work home with me. (On my best days, I don’t even take my work to work with me).

But last night I had an experience that drove home the undeniable appeal, nay, the absolute NECESSITY of the GreenBox as part of a less stressful, more responsible lifestyle. The following story is true (as the grainy, cinema-verite cell phone pictures will no doubt prove).

I arrived home around 9 pm and decided to get a pizza for dinner. I haven’t been eating much pizza in recent months, due to a mean case of body dysmorphia that has me convinced I’m getting chubby (six foot three, 135 lbs.). But I had a serious craving for some Brooklyn slices, and I figured it was about time I took a cold hard look at “the competition”, box-wise.

I strolled down to my neighborhood joint to place my order. I’d tell you the name of the restaurant but frankly, I don’t trust some of you people and I’d rather you didn’t know where I live. Let’s just say it’s that pizza place in Brooklyn, the one with the guy, next door to the thing.

I returned home with a small cheese pizza (6 slices), and proceeded to tear through four of them while watching Maury Povich clips on YouTube. Once I was full of pizza (and nostalgia for the days of quality television), I turned to the problem of storing the leftover slices and disposing of the box taking up precious counter space in my kitchen.

I had two slices left over. The first step was locating my supply of aluminum foil. Once I found it (behind the George Foreman grill which has not been used or even acknowledged since 2006), I clumsily wrapped the two slices in this wasteful, improvised packaging and turned to the box.

In the silence of my apartment, the box seemed to whisper, “Psst - Sean. Hey, Sean. What’re you gonna do about me? I’m a real pain in the ass”.

And indeed it was. I considered breaking the box down so it would fit in the recycling bin out in the hall. But with arms like mine, breaking down a non-perforated box is a bit of a tall order. My biceps can make short work of paper towels, tissue, or rice paper, but corrugated cardboard has a bit more backbone. I decided that tearing the box apart (without helpful perforations to reduce the strain on my forearms) would be too taxing for me. Moreover, I needed to conserve my strength because CEO William Walsh told me that the following morning would be the first edition of the Intern Pull-Up Challenge (winner gets to clean his bathroom). What to do, then?

There seemed to be no other choice than to simply take the box out in to the hall and leave it in the garbage area, still in one (annoyingly large) piece. This was essentially the opposite of the “pay it forward” mentality; I was really just passing along the headache to someone else (namely, my super).

As the pictures above will attest, my options for disposal were limited. At first, I just placed the box on top of the recycling bin, as if to say, “Hey, I really wanted to put this thing in here, but it’s too big and clumsy.” Then I decided to just toss the box on the floor near the bin, as if to say, “I decided to just toss the box on the floor, near the bin.”

All in all, I learned a lot from the experience, specifically that it’s time for the GreenBox to become the industry standard and bring real convenience back to pizza-eating. What’s the point of taking your pizza home if it has to travel in something that won’t fit in the recycling bin or in your fridge? It’s time for a change.

Too bad Will won’t give me any free samples.

XO,

OldIntern

On The Air with the GreenBox!

Beatrice's Inferno is a truly cutting-edge business - a completely mobile, wood-fired pizza experience. Let me repeat that: Beatrice's Inferno is a wood-fired oven ON WHEELS driving around Philadelphia and cranking out some of the most delicious and adventurous pizzas in the United States. Described as a "portable pizza paradise", Beatrice's Inferno is making waves in Philadelphia with their novel combination of convenience and gourmet-quality pizza.

And speaking of convenience and quality, Beatrice's Inferno uses a very special product to deliver their pizzas to the clamoring crowds - the GreenBox. Recently, owner Jason Brown was on the air with Preston & Steve on WMMR Philadelphia. They started out talking about Jason's deliciously outre pizza offerings, but quickly realized there was something else worthy of conversation - The GreenBox.

Listen to the audio clip on YouTube. And be sure to visit Beatrice's Inferno here. Thanks, Jason!

YoungIntern takes us to school...

Here's the latest from Emani, aka YoungIntern, followed by a responsorial post from OldIntern. Read on...

Hello... Emani (a.k.a. YoungIntern) here.

I came in early this morning and got right to work! After chatting with Ned about my tasks for the day, I decided to research some things I wanted to learn more about…and no, Sean, Kurt Cobain is not one of them – I know who he is, thanks very much!

So, anyway, I looked up what corrugated cardboard is and how it's recycled. All it is is three layers of fiberboard, where the two outside layers are flat and the middle one is in a wavy pattern. To recycle, it's “pulped” by being mixed with water. It is then weakened and combined with different pulps (some from wood shavings) to achieve the final desirable strength. This same pulp can be combined with "paper pulps" to make things like paper towels and toilet paper.

Later, my fellow intern (Ed. Note – “OldIntern”) told me about the online presence of the GreenBox. (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.). I was impressed - it looked way better than he made it out to be. Why so modest, OldIntern? Go check out the GreenBox online, folks - it's all over the place!

OldIntern Replies:

Thanks for the info on corrugated cardboard, Emani! I’ve been here for months and I thought we made the boxes out of reclaimed pencil shavings. I’m a slow learner…

You mentioned that you “chatted” with Ned this morning. Allow me to make some corrections to the misinformation he has no doubt tried to dupe you with:

- Ned is not a international kickboxing star who maintains residences in both Thailand and The Hamptons, NY.
- Ned is not licensed for Formula One racing. In fact, the validity of his NY State driver’s licesnse has been called in to question on many occasions.
- Ned has never met the Dalai Lama, and definitely hasn’t beaten him at checkers.
- Ned was not instrumental in passing the historic health care reform bill earlier this year.

Ned is, however, our Director of Sales, and despite his fondness for vitamin supplements and drinking Apple Cider Vinegar straight out of the bottle, he is a valuable member of the ECOvention team.

We're working on creating a brand-new "official" Facebook page for the GreenBox. We just have to wait until Ned is done buying sneakers online.

Thanks for the blog, Emani! You’re making me look bad.

XO,

OldIntern

There's A New Intern In Town...

Just in case I didn't feel old and irrelevant enough, ECOvention has brought a new intern in to the NYC offices. Her name is Emani and she's entering her junior year in high school this coming fall at the ripe old age of 15. She's smart, energetic, and ready to make her presence felt on this here blog. Tomorrow, I'm going to see if she knows who Kurt Cobain was. If it turns out she doesn't, I will lock myself in a bathroom stall and wonder where all the years have gone.

Her first blog entry is below, and we look forward to many more from her...in the meantime, I'm struggling to find some job security around here. Now that they've got another intern (who happens to be half my age), I can feel the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head...But then I think to myself, "Hey, somebody's got to pick up William Walsh's dry cleaning." So I should be all right.

Check out Emani's first entry below, and stay tuned to this blog for some major developments in the works...

XO,

The GreenBox Intern

Being Eco-freindly

I'm sure you've heard the terms a lot - "eco-friendly", "environmentally conscious", etc...but what do they mean, exactly? As I understand it, an "eco-friendly" lifestyle revolves around practices that reduce harm to the environment. Sounds simple, but how easy is it to practice in your daily life?

At the ECOvention office, I started skimming through Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach. I was struck by Bach's statement that “the truth is, many of our daily actions and behaviors add green house gases to the atmosphere, and it’s not entirely our fault.” It was an encouraging statement because I personally don’t like causing damage to the environment, but the more I inform myself the more I can reduce my impact on the world around me.

One may wonder, "Well, what can I do to limit or decrease the negative affect I’m having on the planet Earth?". Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question for you - I’m still learning myself. And that's part of what my internship here at ECOvention is all about.

I do little things that I think help the environment, but I know there’s more to be done. For one, in my household, we recycle. It's been a part of my weekly routine since the spring of 2005, partly because it’s a tenant requirement, but also because I enjoy it and it makes me feel like I'm doing a good thing for the planet. Another thing I do is fully wash the dishes before rinsing them off, instead of running the water the whole time. I'm not sure how much this helps, but in my mind I’m saving water. See? Not much, but I try.

The environment has never been a big concern in my surroundings, though in school I was given little tips. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth, turn off the lights when you leave a room, and refrain from littering. I’ve tried to keep these ideas in mind, but sometimes I can’t help but feel like I’m going out of my way to help the cause.

Something most people take part in is eating pizza. I don’t think I personally know anyone who doesn’t enjoy pizza! (I know lactose intolerant people who devour it!) But what happens when you’re done with the box? (You may already know about the Green Box, if so I’ll just refresh your memory.) Pizza boxes don’t fit in most household garbage cans and storing leftovers adds more hassle to the process. The Green Box can help solve this problem. Though our pizza box is shaped like a traditional pizza box, the top comes off and breaks into four plates. When you’re done eating you can store your leftovers in the bottom piece of the box, which folds into a convenient container that can easily fit in your fridge or garbage at a later date.

Now, how does this help the environment? The plates decrease the chances of there being dishes to wash, the bottom provides storage without wasteful wrapping, and the box is also made from 100% recycled materials. And if you’re even more interested in saving waste, you can use the box as compost!

The Green Box is ideal because households across the country eat pizza. So why not enjoy the meal and package your food and garbage more conveniently while still helping the environment? Imagine if individuals could automatically help save the environment? Well it is possible with the Green Box.

Like I said, I’m still learning how to be more eco-friendly while convincing others to do the same. ECOvention is trying to make that happen! I hope I can help!

- The GreenBox Intern 2.0

Whole Foods Is Carrying The GreenBox!!!

Remember when I said that the GreenBox would soon be appearing in businesses all over the nation? And that soon, you wouldn't be able to swing a dead cat without hitting a GreenBox? Well, I've got some bad news for people who like swinging dead cats without hitting GreenBoxes: we just took another major step towards our stated goal of nationwide domination.

Whole Foods, the hottest and most high-profile grocery store chain in the United States, has decided to stock the GreenBox in 30 Whole Foods stores in the Rocky Mountain region.

It’s a partnership that makes good sense; Whole Foods and ECOvention (that’s us) are both committed to environmental responsibility and sustainable business practices. And just like Whole Foods, we here at ECOvention strive to balance respect for the environment with greater functionality for the consumer. The best of both worlds – Whole Foods and the GreenBox (click the link to see our cute-as-a-button web commercial)!

And just look at that box (above) – it’s a work of art!

Granted, that picture leaves a bit to be desired. I took it on an iPhone in the kitchen of our NYC offices, but what’dya want from me? I’m the intern, not Ansel bloody Adams. But even with my poor photography skills, I think you’ll agree that the two logos go great together.

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to create a real community around this product, and that’s where you, the readers of this blog, come in. Do me a big favor – head over to the Whole Foods blog and tell them how happy you are to see the GreenBox in their product line. And if you don’t live in the Rocky Mountain region, go ahead and tell ‘em that you won’t be happy until the Whole Foods in your area is stocking the GreenBox. That’s called “grassroots”, folks, and it really works.

I gotta go spit-shine CEO William Walsh’s slippers…but leave me some love and I’ll talk to you all soon.

XO,

The GreenBox Intern

Back By Back-Handed Popular Demand

Ahem. Hello, everyone. It's the GreenBox Intern.

I haven't written a blog since March. It's June. Why the delay? Frankly, I had gotten the distinct impression that no one was reading the blasted thing, and that no amount of web-savvy cross-promotion was having the desired effect. Not even the legendary Shanghai Ping-Pong Technique (link to Twitter via Facebook, Facebook back to Twitter, fake-out to Facebook, double-somersault, back to Twitter, random Craigslist ad, big finish on Digg) was having any discernible effect on my readership levels.

The GreenBox itself is attracting more attention than ever, and remains poised to become the new industry standard; this blog, not so much.

I began to ask myself, "Is it worth it?" After all, I slave, nay, agonize over these entries; some of them take upwards of 12 minutes to compose! And if I decide to throw a picture in, we're talking about 15 minutes of my life down the drain! If you think I'm gonna make that kind of sacrifice on a regular basis without some kind of response (preferably adulation), you're dead wrong. Of the scant comments I've received on the blog, most have been from family members. Oh, and there was one that had to be censored for potentially offensive content. Not exactly an outpouring of support.

Just the other day I arrived at work only to have CEO William Walsh lay in to me for not posting a blog recently - because, he said, his daughter and her friends at school "love it". CFO Jennifer Wright mentioned that her siblings love the blog as well, and consider themselves devoted readers (as much as you can be devoted to a blog that issues new material about as often as Axl Rose).

I'm sure Ned would have offered similar moral support, but he was inhaling deeply from a container of filtered oxygen (yes, he has taken to purchasing canned air on a daily basis - I haven't asked why and I'm not going to).

I appreciated my colleagues trying to shore me up. Ok, I thought - that's all well and good, but those readers are related to employees here at ECOvention; they're sort of obligated to humor my sad little efforts at web publishing. But then it happened - a new reader emerged from obscurity to inspire me to new heights.

On the blog entry below, you will notice a comment from a shadowy figuring calling himself "Anonymous" - a chilling moniker, to be sure. Where did he come from? How did he find me? And, perhaps the most pressing question of all - what is he afraid of?

Though you might assume that Anonymous and I are at odds with each other (he fancies himself "the competition", after all), I am actually grateful to this John Doe of cyberspace, for one reason and one reason only - he seems to have read my blog despite the fact that we are not related to each other, neither by blood nor marriage nor employer! "Anonymous", I owe you so much - you have reinvigorated my faith in myself, in my journalistic efforts, and in humanity as a whole.

My faith in the GreenBox, on the other hand, has never wavered. We've been extremely busy here in the NYC offices over the past month or so: flexing the muscle of our national distribution deal with Roma Food/PFG, combing through the literally hundreds of emails from interested businesses and consumers, and having a handful of pretty serious meetings which, frankly, are none of your business - yet. All will be revealed as the GreenBox continues it's inexorable crawl across the face of the United States.

Pretty soon, you're not gonna be able to swing a dead cat without hitting a GreenBox. Mark my words.

In the meantime, I thought we might try to shift the focus a bit. The GreenBox is riding high on a wave of interest and publicity, while my blog festers in darkness and obscurity, unread, unloved, unacknowledged by the world at large. It hasn't really taken off, in others words - certainly not with anything like the ferocity of the GreenBox's current rise. So do me a favor: tell your friends, tell your family members (as long as they're not my family members), tell your colleagues, tell your parole officers...anyone and everyone you know, direct them to this blog and let's get a real community going.

Don't leave me here alone with "Anonymous". Just kidding, A-non - I love ya!

XO,

The GreenBox Intern

I'm Still Alive, In Case Anyone Cares

Hello, all. If you’re wondering why I’ve been away from the blog for so long, I’ve got a good excuse: I’ve spent the past two weeks knee-deep in mind-numbing drudgery here at the ECO Inc. offices. If I never see another Excel spreadsheet in my life, I will die a happy man. In other words, I will not die a happy man.

See, that’s the thing about running a business – apparently, there’s a lot of nitty-gritty, nose-to-the-grindstone work to be done. Having spent the greater part of my 20s avoiding work in all its myriad forms, I’ve had some trouble adjusting to the demands of Corporate America (especially the pseudo-totalitarian version favored by GreenBox CEO William Walsh). After a long day’s work of data entry, customer relations calls, and spotting Ned while he tries to break his own bench-press record (813.5 lbs), it’s all I can do not to have a nervous breakdown. Medication helps.

Now, with any normal small business, the workload is punishing enough. But with the GreenBox, it’s doubly so, because of the sheer amount of interest and inquiries about the product we get on a daily basis. It’s no exaggeration to say that people are knocking down our doors to get their hands on the GreenBox, and keeping track of their fanatical demands for information falls largely on the bony shoulders of yours truly. Are you familiar with the saying about the you-know-what, and how it tends to roll downhill? Guess where I am.

You may already be familiar with the management style of William Walsh. God help you if you are. Brilliant and talented though he may be, Mr. Walsh seems to derive genuine pleasure from demeaning and emasculating his underlings – or, to be more specific, from demeaning and emasculating me. To pick one example from hundreds, he insists on referring to me as his “Gal Friday” despite my repeated protests that I am male. According to him, “the jury’s still out” on that claim.

It is against this background of near-constant mental and emotional abuse that I have strayed from my blogging duties. I hope you will accept my sincere apologies and say a prayer for me if you get a chance.

Meanwhile, ECO Inc. has recently completed an incredibly successful national mini-tour of industry trade shows. First we wowed the overwhelming crowds at the International Restaurant and Food Service Show of New York, sharing booth space with Tri-State juggernaut Imperial Bag & Paper. Next, the higher-ups (Will, Ned, and Jen) flew off to Vegas for the International Pizza Expo.

As usual, all the good stuff happened without me. While in Vegas, the brain trust inked a national distribution agreement with ROMA Foods. This deal formalizes a truly dynamic partnership - the nation’s leading distributor for the pizza and Italian foods industry distributor is now distributing the most talked-about product in recent memory. We can’t overemphasize the impact of this deal enough – it’s equivalent to Ned finally getting a callback from the WWE (cross your fingers).

And wrapping up the mini-tour, Sales Director Ned Kensing traveled all by his lonesome to Boston, MA to pahk the GreenBox in Hahvhad Yahd. Ned was personally invited to the show by Mansfield Paper, a major New England distributor with a boatload of interest in the GreenBox.

Long story short: in the past two weeks, we’ve secured coast-to-coast distribution for the GreenBox. From ruddy-cheeked New England lobstermen to sun-drenched Blackberry addicts in Santa Monica…soon the whole U. S. of A. will feel the global impact of William Walsh’s wondrous invention.

Between these three trade shows and the considerable interest our new commercial has generated, I’ve got my Sisyphean work cut out for me. In the next couple of weeks, the GreenBox will be popping up all over the country, and I’ll take pride in the fact that I helped that to happen. Not that I’ll get any credit for it, mind you.

Best,

The GreenBox Intern

The GreenBox on the Small Screen!!!

If you're David Patterson or Tiger Woods, you might resent the level of media intrusion in 21st Century America. Here at ECO Incorporated, however, we're more than happy to bask in the media attention that our wonderful product receives. We've got nothing to hide, after all. You'll find no skeletons in our closet (I'm not counting Marketing Director Ned Kensing's closet, which probably has more skeletons than your typical Dio De Los Muertos parade).

To date, the GreenBox has not been involved in a single corruption scandal or marital indiscretion; it's just a great product that effortlessly captures the attention of the media and the nation at large. And quite unlike David Patterson's ability to procure under-the-table Yankees tickets, I can't even squeeze free Post-It Notes out of the tight-fisted misers I work for. Absolute power corrupts absolutely; utterly powerless in my position as a glorified coffee-jockey, I am entirely free from the temptations of ambition and greed . May it always be so - you'd hate to see me go from humble intern to sex-crazed, power-hungry megalomaniac, wouldn't you? Besides, I don't think I've got the constitution for the kind of extracurricular shenanigans Tiger Woods has gotten up to. I get winded when the elevator in my apartment is out of order, for Chrissakes. I don't know how that guy does it, but the phrase "I'll have what he's having" comes readily to mind...

Where was I? Ah, yes....the Green Box. The GreenBox is that rare thing in 21st Century America: a phenomenon that attracts attention based purely on its genuine appeal to the industry and to consumers. Other folks might have to show a little leg or sell arms illegally to a third-world nation to get on the nightly news. The GreenBox receives constant coverage for one reason only: it is an idea whose time has come.

And so it is that an eagle-eyed New Yorker tipped us off to the recent coverage of the GreenBox on W-CBS TV in New York City. Food & Produce reporter Tony Tantillo stopped by the International Restaurant and Food Service Show of NY on Monday March 1st with a camera crew in tow. Now, it would be one thing if there was a brief shot of the GreenBox or a quick aside from Tony about the product..but Tony took a GreenBox back to the studio to sing its praises, going out of his way to highlight the product for his viewers (check out the clip here - the GreenBox makes its appearance towards the end of the segment). Clearly, Tony is wise to the inevitable success of the product and thanks to his coverage, so are the pizza-eating denizens of the New York City.

I should mention that Tony Tantillo also interviewed me extensively about Iran's continued uranium enrichment in naked defiance of the U.N., but this portion of the feature was mysteriously cut from the broadcast. However, near the start of the clip, you will see a dapper older gentlemen receiving a sample of soup. This man happens to be paternally responsible for both myself and my brother Ned Kensing, although he may not admit to either on camera.

And that's not all - CFO Jennifer Wright was recently interviewed by telephone for an upcoming profile piece in Business Week magazine. This will be posted as soon as it is available. You can be sure that my name will not make it to print, but I'm OK with that. I prefer to remain anonymous, uncorrupted, and pure as the driven snow...with the bank account to prove it.

XO,

The GreenBox Intern