John S. Shegerian has a mantra that he
lives by every day as chairman and CEO
of Electronic Recyclers International —
“Green is good.”
He co-founded the company in 2002,
and from the beginning, Electronic
Recyclers has been a completely green
organization. The sales team drives a
fleet of hybrid vehicles, and the company uses electric forklifts on the shop
floor. The furniture is made from recycled materials, if you get a business card
from an employee of Electronic
Recyclers, be careful not to lose it
because it’s half the size of a normal
card in order to conserve paper.
Shegarian also works alongside Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger as a member
of the California Commission for Jobs
and Economic Growth. The governor
also recently appointed Shegerian to
serve on the Governor’s Gang Advisory
Committee. To complement his green
efforts, he serves on several boards,
including serving as an executive
board member of the Alliance Toward
Harnessing Global Opportunities.
On top of his efforts at Electronic
Recyclers, Shegerian also wants to help
people. He founded Homeboy Tortillas
and Homeboy Industries in 1993. He
hired people who may have made some
mistakes in their pasts but wanted to
change and wanted a job. This continues to serve as a model for urban
renewal in the country and received
the New York Stock Exchange Building
for the Future Award for creating new
jobs in post-riot Los Angeles.
HOW TO REACH: Electronic Recyclers International, (559) 442-3960 or www.electronicrecyclers.com