Well, I’m a day late, but my friend Aug sends in a story perfect for my oft-neglected "good news Friday" feature. This one is about Ray Anderson, a highly successful carpet manufacturer based in Georgia.
Back in the 90’s, Anderson came to a sudden realization about his business:
I was running a company that was plundering the earth. I thought, "Damn, some day people like me will be put in jail!" It was a spear in the chest.
Since then he’s completely changed the way his company does business, from the bottom up, but the results have been better than he ever would have guess.
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.
Read the whole thing, by Cornelia Dean, in the NYTimes. It’s called "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." Anderson now even has a consulting firm, helping other businesses go green. Go Ray!
Kit Stolz 