As we look at growing green communities we need to find ways of closing the loop – dealing with waste as an asset by recycling – and ways of carrying out sustainable manufacturing as well as using products which can save energy and water. I love Wendy Gabriel’s Four Questions series. When I decided to interview Will Johnston of GrowandMake.com I didn’t want to copy Wendy and do Four Questions so I went with 5. Thanks for the inspiration Wendy and thanks for the interview Will. You can visit Will at Grow And Make or follow him on Twitter @growandmake.
Will, I understand that Grow and Make was started in 2008. Can you give a brief introduction to your company and how it came about?
I moved to Portland, Oregon from the Bay Area, where I was involved with e-commerce ventures and startup businesses for many years. Portland is a hub of sustainable living, thinking and culture, so when considering new opportunities I gravitated toward a green oriented business. My family and I have always tried to find practical ways to live in a more environmentally responsible manner, so it wasn’t a big leap to want to launch Grow and Make.
It seems more and more people are making sustainable choices in their lives and more companies are focusing on becoming greener. What are some things you are doing at home and in your own business premises to reduce your environmental impact?
Well, we compost, garden and monitor and regulate our energy consumption. Grow and Make as a business is one of the most sustainable I’m aware of. We operate out of our (the two founders) homes and have a very minimal environmental impact due to the business practices we adopt in operating G&M. We really have almost no environmental footprint at this time.
You have a wide range of products with everything from soap bars to off-grid solar kits. I was wondering, which three items are your most popular sellers?
Our best sellers tend to be in the area of composting. Counter-top composters for the kitchen and backyard composters. I think this is because many people see composting as a practical yet effective way that they can make a difference. Another best seller is fold-up indoor laundry drying racks. These two are a practical way that people can make a measurable difference in their lives. Another big seller has been the counter-top bag drier, due to it’s low cost and great utility, this is a popular holiday gift.
You have a 5 criteria rating system for the products you sell. I’m particularly interested in the manufacturing stage of the products. Can you give me an example of a favorite home or garden product and how it is sustainable at the manufacturing stage?
One of our best selling items is the Envirocycle spinning composter. The manufacturer is well aware of the importance of ensuring that their products are sustainable from conception to delivery and have used 50% recycled food grade plastic in the production of their composters. Most businesses that we source products from strive to adopt sustainable day-to-day business practices when they cannot manufacture in a sustainable manner.
If you could source any possible product what would you like to add to your catalog?
In the UK they have these really cool all-in-one chicken coops, which I’d love to carry or manufacture ourselves. I’m trying to find a supplier of a similar type of item in the US for our urban chicken customers.
Please leave questions and comments for Will. Or you can visit him at Grow And Make and follow him on Twitter @growandmake.
Related posts:
Wonderful interview! Thanks so much for highlighting a company that is really doing business the right way. And thank you for the lovely compliment!
Wendy´s last blog ..Photo Friday – Halloween, Energy Circle and more