Ray C. Anderson founded his modular carpet tile company in 1973 aimed at providing commercial customers a durable, flexible soft floor covering option. It was a joint venture between British company Carpets International, Plc and a group of American inventors. The company grew from a company of 15 employees to one whose sales reached $11 million in only 5 years. The company went public only a decade after it had begun. In 2003, the company entered the residential market by starting the subsidiary FLOR. Interface continued to grow into a billion-dollar, diversified, global company through a multitude of acquisitions with locations in 110 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and …show more content…
Founder Anderson was the driving force behind this radical “mid-course correction”, to use the name of his book. In the 1990’s, Anderson recognized “that the Earth is damaged and hurting – badly” (Anderson, 1998) and changed the direction of the company significantly. This sustainable mindset touches every aspect of the company’s operations from its supply chain to its production line and even after the customer has purchased and installed it. It’s an inspiring story and it shows that working towards a sustainable operation is possible and can be profitable. Interface recently introduced a new line of products called World Woven. The collection features textile looks from around the world which feature “uncomplicated, hand crafted and imperfect” (Interface, Inc., 2016) attributes which brings customers the feeling of being closer to nature, a welcome departure from the modern and overly perfect styles of most carpet tiles. (Interface, Inc., 2016). The collection includes both skinny plank tiles as well as square tiles in eight colors and varying texture levels to appeal to a wide range of customers. The company provides flexibility to mix-and-match to create the right space for any taste. This product fits in perfectly with Interface’s environmentally friendly goals, not only in style but also at its core. The nylon used is 100% recycled fiber and, even when the backing is included, the products still boast 81% recycled material. All products are
Embrace new technologies to improve efficiency, maintain environmental stewardship through green practices and sustainable operations, support continuous improvement of the business processes, develop employees’ capability, and provide excellent customer services.” (Hillsborough County, 2015)
Bob’s Discount Furniture can be defined in one word, “innovative”. In almost every aspect of their business, Bob’s is setting the standard for the furniture industry. Founded in 1991 in Newington, Connecticut, Bob Kaufman had a dream to build a successful company. This dream stemmed from his own experiences. In 1976, Bob was involved in a motorcycle accident that left one of his legs partially paralyzed. He was sent to bed to recuperate from his injuries, where he then found the benefits of the waterbed in his recovery. This experience inspired Bob to become a waterbed salesman. He sold waterbeds in 24 stores across New England.
Bertrand Piccard quotes, “In the 21st century, the heroes will be the people who will improve the quality of life, fight poverty and introduce more sustainability. This is a powerful message, it sums up the concepts discussed throughout the course. Additionally, the case studies such as the New Belgium Brewery, SC Johnson and The Kimberly Clarke organization have been proven to practice this philosophy. As society progresses in its efforts to provide a more sustainable future, there is a fundamental foundation of principles that must be followed to ensure success. Sustainable business development takes into account the application of business operations as it relates to the three pillars of sustainability, which is a dynamic yet integrative place to begin this journey. DesJardins, (2006) calls for a re-imagination of the future to create a vibrant sustainable model; which forms similar beliefs to Piccard. In addition, organizations are more inclined to create sustainable practices based on consumer demand and the willingness of leadership to participate in sustainability programs.
Every financial decision made by J.B. Hunt relates directly to how value is added to the customer and how it will increase the ability to provide higher returns to stockholders. These are the primary goals of the company and what J.B. Hunt looks to accomplish when developing their operating strategy. Their strategy is primarily based on “utilizing an integrated, multimodal approach to provide capacity-oriented solutions centered on delivering customer value and industry-leading service” (10-k, 3). J.B. Hunt has also included a regular analysis of their resources over their fiscal period in order to determine where additional capital should be invested. Since there is a greater concern regarding energy-efficiency and being environmentally friendly, J.B. Hunt has taken steps to add a more environmentally friendly aspect to their strategy as well. They are currently researching ways to minimize carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency without substantially increasing their costs by becoming an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The Space Age Furniture Company manufactures tables and cabinets to hold microwave ovens and portable televisions. In this paper, I will explore ways that the company can be more efficient in the time to manufacture these parts and the overtime hours involved. To accomplish this, I will look at the type of operation, trade-off between the costs of overtime and inventory, ways that management can track job status and offer any suggestions regarding these issues.
One point of view says that we should invest in the environment because it will increase our reputation among other things resulting in increased sales. Another point of view is to not invest in sustainability and since consumers gravitate towards the best products and the best prices, which a team could develop, then sustainability is just an unneeded expense. As a team we feel that there should a balance of both investing in sustainable business practices and turning a profit. This strategy can be seen when we turned a $4,600,257 profit in quarter six while investing in seven conscious
Park City Carpet LLC has been in business since 1990. The owner and operator is Duane Medina. Park City Carpet was set up as an LLC to keep the personal and business assets separate. Some benefits to having an LLC is personal assets are protected should something happen to the business or the business is sued. Also, Park City Carpet enjoys some government oversight with a more lenient tax bracket (Editorial Board, 2011, p 45-46). The company is able to do many carpet related issues, including flood restoration, mold clean up/treatment, various remediation, carpet installation, and carpet cleaning. (D. Medina, personal communication, July 8, 2015)
Flooring has always been the unconscious beauty factor in a home. It subtly adds to the ambience and character of a home, with its patterns and materials. Knowing its importance, we stock all brands in various materials so you have a wide selection to choose from. The first step is deciding which room you want to decorate according to your tastes. After that decision is made, all you have to do is come down to BC Floors where we stock hardwood flooring, laminate, Cork, Vinyl, carpet and much more.
There was a dilemma regarding sustainable economic development in my company, Spectrum Sunglass Company. Due to the request of “green” from Bigmart, which was the largest retail customer, my company should have decided whether its strategy plan needed to be adjusted. I was the Director of Product Innovation within the R&D unit, in addition to being a resolute advocate for reducing the company’s dependence on petrochemical raw materials. However, much resistance took place. I had 96 weeks to persuade my superiors and colleagues.
The carmaker, which employs 15,000 people, including 3,500 engineers at two product development centres in the Midlands, is part of the EU ETS scheme and has signed up to a Climate Change Agreement. Head of sustainability Frances Leedham says One of my objectives is to make environment and sustainability part of doing business. It was unheard of a few years ago, but there is a clear incentive to decarbonise our economy and focus on renewable energy. Across our UK facilities we have set ambitious targets, and by 2012 we aim to reduce operating carbon emissions by 25 per cent, waste to landfill by 25 per cent and water consumption by 10 per cent. So crucial is the companys sustainability agenda to long-term business growth that a 9m fund has been set aside for investment in efficiency measures across the business, targeting areas where the biggest savings can be made. Jaguar Land Rovers paint shops, for example, have been identified as the largest consumer of energy in the whole manufacturing process. By sharing best practice between production sites, the company has implemented more than 50 initiatives-from optimising use of air compressors to closing parts of the paint shops when they are not being used. These measures have saved 13,200 tonnes of carbon emissions and more than 1.5m in energy costs over the past two years. But Leedham insists smaller schemes have a significant effect, too Things such as lighting, heating
At the level of ecological sustainability, the company states use continuous processes of improvements, but at the end there seems only compliance with environmental national standards. The investment in technology and new machinery to reduce their impact in the environment seems kept at the minimum, and they continuous investing in fossil fuel
The key to sustainable business is ensuring that the company’s strategy proportions are aligned (Kim, W.C & Mauborgne, R, 2009). Caterpillar Inc. has been in existence since 1925 and the company has faced its fair share of turmoil. The current global challenges coupled with a stronger dollar make it difficult for any organisation to operate but Caterpillar continues to outperform the competition. The key to the company’s success is its strategy execution supported by an unmatched distribution network.
In order to be sustainable over the long term, Woolworths has made sure that their success doesn’t come at the expense of the society, economy and environment as they are a part of it (ICAA, 2011). They believe it not only involves responsibility to understand and manage their impacts, but also gives them an opportunity to achieve lasting and beneficial change that extends beyond their operations (ICAA, 2011).
Everyone wants to build his/her dream house, which one expects to appear beautiful. Some even make sure their prized possession become a matter of envy for others. This is especially true with most females who generally take pride in showing interiors of their house whosoever comes to their house. In a sense, they feel this is the best way to get money's worth. But, when it comes to flooring, these females are often seen running for cover. Most of the times they find it too tedious and tiresome to undergo an ordeal of choosing the best that might suffice their purpose. It is in this reference that employing contractors can go a long way in reducing workload of these females. For instance, when you take help of these contractors, you are left with a sole responsibility of mere identifying the space where this flooring needs to be done.
Many firms are learning that being environmentally friendly and sustainable has numerous benefits. (O.C Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). This could enable them to increase goodwill from various stakeholders and also save money in the long term. This will mean that they are being more efficient and less wasteful of resources, which will enable them to be more competitive by satisfying stakeholders. The CEO of