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Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press Kelly Brock, owner of Natural Body Day Spa, incorporates recycling in several aspects of her North Chattanooga and downtown businesses. The decor includes cork flooring, bamboo mirror frames and candle holders made from railroad ties, and her clients use cloth hand towels.
* What: Spa that uses sustainable practices and organic products.
* Company: Natural Body Day Spa
* Locations: 1202 Hixson Pike and 300 Broad St.
* How it's green: Owner Kelly Brock said her green efforts began about four years ago when she redesigned her Hixson Pike location with cork flooring. From there, she's instituted the use of cloth hand towels instead of paper towels, energy efficient light fixtures, bamboo mirrors, battery operated candles and reclaimed railroad ties for benches. The "menus," which list services and prices of the spa, are made out of recycled paper and use a soy-based ink that is better for the environment, she said.
* Why do it this way? "For me, it's about giving back, about saving the planet and staying green," she said. Taking a sustainable approach also fits in line with the ideals behind Natural Body, she said, since the business specializes in natural and organic products and practices.
* Plans for expanding: Brock is looking to expand to new locations, but also wants to make her two current locations as green as possible. Soon she will be re-flooring the downtown location with a sustainable option such as cork or recycled tires, she said. She's also looking into the prospect of harvesting solar energy.
* Advice for others considering green initiatives: "Start it out by doing it sustainably," she said. "Renovations take more time and cost more."
* Is environmentalism an essential part of the business and why? Environmentalism is one of the founding principles of the spa, Brock said. "Anything we can do to be green, we're always finding the next thing," she said.
Brittany Cofer is a business reporter who has been with the Chattanooga Times Free Press since January 2010. She previously worked as a general assignment Metro reporter. In the Business department, she covers banking, retail, tourism, consumer issues and green issues. Brittany is from Conyers, Ga., and spent two years at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga., before transferring to the University of Georgia. She graduated from the university’s Grady College of Journalism in December ...
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