Video: Wind energy more than eye candy at Maud Borup

Wind energy is more than just eye candy according to Christine Lantinen, President of Minnesota-based candy maker Maud Borup. "A lot of business owners think it's going to cost more to be more renewable, when in reality you're going to save your company money." Their company has grown dramatically in recent years, and their chocolate-brown wind turbine has powered some sweet energy and costs savings during that time.

Watch the video below to learn how Maud Borup—which prides itself on reinventing classic sweets using modern flavors and organic ingredients while being a women and veteran-owned company—has become a sustainability leader in their industry.

There's a lot of eye candy at Maud Borup. But there's a lot more that makes up the heart of their business.

"We would show you the chocolate river, but it's a secret, and it's locked," joked Christine Lantinen, President of Minnesota-based candy maker Maud Borup. "Candy is fun. I feel like there's so much innovation that can be happening in candy, but the innovation isn't just in the product. I feel like the future success of companies is getting on the wagon and becoming more sustainable. That is going to help you grow as a company. Your retailers and your customers are looking for that. They're wanting that connection to who you are as a company outside of just that product."

"Go above and beyond. It's fun making change. And it's exciting to see that you can make a difference," shared Christine.

And make a difference they have. They've put up a 100-foot wind turbine—chocolate brown, of course—brought in geothermal heating, replaced lighting, and put in large windows for natural light, just to name a few of their changes with sustainability.

"It's a job that's never done," Lantinen continued. "You can always be better, so it's constantly looking at your practices and what you're doing, and challenging everyone within your company. Don't be afraid to take it small bites at a time, working up to larger things until you reach your goals."

For Maud Borup some of those small bites have been refurbishing pallets, recycling, and printing on both sides of paper.

"I think a lot of business owners think that it's going to cost more to be more renewable, when in reality you're in the long term going to save your company money," Christine shared.

And this company is not slowing down.

"We've gone from $100,000 in revenue to $25 million in revenue and we have about 150 full-time employees," Lantinen explained. "And renewable energy has been with us the whole way. We'll continue to grow our renewable energy as we continue to grow as a company."

Lantinen says there is room for everyone in their industry to be more sustainable.

"I definitely want to challenge large companies in addition to small companies to look at their footprint and their processes and see what they can be doing. We share a world that our children are going to experience. What does that look like for them? That is what drives us to make the decisions that we do."