BMO Partners on Energy Efficiency with San Fernando’s Small Businesses

On April 3rd, The Center, the City of San Fernando, and volunteers from BMO, Comerica Bank, and Lendistry took to the streets of San Fernando for the city’s Small Business Green Crawl. They visited 200 local businesses to have real conversations with small business owners about what it takes to “go green” and what’s standing in the way.

With longer, hotter summers becoming the norm, San Fernando’s small businesses are looking for ways to stay resilient. But for many, finding the time, money, and information to make eco-friendly upgrades isn’t easy. That’s where The Center comes in.

The Center is partnering with the City of San Fernando and other local jurisdictions to connect businesses with the tools and funding they need to save energy, lower costs, and stay strong in the face of climate challenges.

Thanks to our volunteers, we now have a clearer picture of where these small business owners stand when it comes to going green—and what kind of support they need to move forward:

• More than half didn’t know about local programs that support eco-friendly upgrades.
• Nearly 70% said they’d like to make energy-saving improvements—if they had the right resources.
• Over 40% are interested in rebate programs that help cover costs.

For many small businesses, staying afloat means focusing on immediate challenges—keeping up with daily operations, covering expenses, and navigating an unpredictable economy. In that reality, sustainability can feel out of reach. That’s why solutions need to be straight-forward, affordable, and designed to lighten the load, not add to it. When businesses have access to the right information and resources, going green becomes less of a task and more of an opportunity to cut costs and plan for the future.

The San Fernando Green Crawl showed what’s possible when we meet businesses where they are and listen first. It’s a reminder that climate action doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with conversations, connections, and making sure support is within reach.

We’re proud to be walking alongside San Fernando’s small businesses as they take steps toward a greener future, and this is just the beginning.

Do you know a city or town that could benefit from a Small Business Green Crawl? We’d love to hear from you! Let’s work together to help more communities build climate resilience from the ground up.