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May 23, 2007
"I always make the business case for sustainability. It’s so compelling. Our costs are down, not up. Our products are the best they have ever been. Our people are motivated by a shared higher purpose -- esprit de corps to die for. And the goodwill in the marketplace -- it’s just been astonishing." --Ray Anderson
Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet
As Ray Anderson was preparing a speech at Interface, a billion dollar carpet title company he founded, he had a stark realization -- "I was running a company that was plundering the earth." While they fully complied with the law, he knew that wasn't enough. So he challenged his employees to find ways to turn it all around, and forestalled objections from his own stockholders. “He bet his entire company,” said Bob Fox. And the bet worked. Today, they've cut fossil fuels by 45%, reduced water usage by 49% and cut landfill contribution by 80%; by 2020, the company plans to be a completely "restorative enterprise". And perhaps what's most impressive is that along the way, they have saved more $336 million!
BE THE CHANGE
In the process of doing the right thing, Ray has become the leading evangelist for sustainability. Drop him a note of thanks. More ...
