Michigan Focus
Cherry Republic: Summary
Cherry Republic is an organization that highly values the environment and makes strides in protecting it. The majority of the company’s efforts are monetary donations to various organizations that work with agriculture programs in Northern Michigan. In addition to donations, the company does make a relatively high effort to reduce their carbon footprint in producing and packaging products. As an employee of the Holland Cherry Republic store, I have been able to obtain a deeper look into the efforts made by the company.
Over the 30 years of operation, the company has donated over 2.5 million dollars to environmental protection. The strategies for donation vary; some products produce donations to specific organizations, there is a 1% tariff on all sales which goes to small farms up north, and the company also participates in “1% for the North.” Cherry Republic sells a variety of nut mixes and each specific mix is tied to an environmental non-profit. The non-profits include the following: TART Trails, Circle of Blue, Friends of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology, For Love of Water (FLOW), Michigan Climate Action Network, Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and the Inland Seas Education Association. Furthermore, the 1% for the North has generated the most donations which all go to worthy environmental groups that protect land, water, and air.
In addition to the donations, Cherry Republic employs a variety of strategies to reduce their own carbon footprint. The most recent switch was in their plastic packaging. Now, all of the products that come in plastic bags (chocolates, nuts, candies, and dried cherries) use film with a minimum 20% post-consumer recycled plastic. Additionally, all of the glass products sold in-store (jam, salsa, BBQ sauce, wine, etc) must be wrapped in paper before bagging to prevent breakage. All of the paper purchased for this is made from recycled paper. Finally, all of the sodas that are sold include the ten cent deposit and can be returned to any location for proper recycling.
Areas for improvement for Cherry Republic include sustainable/organic agriculture at the orchard and ensuring minimal food waste. I personally do not know a lot about the agriculture practices utilized at the orchards up north; however, I know they are not organic and likely use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Additionally, there have been instances in which mass amounts of products are thrown away. For instance, there recently was a batch of jam that had mold on around half of the jars; therefore, they were all thrown away. In many cases, if there is a bad package (dented lid, torn label) the product will be taken out of stock and given to an employee to take home so as to not waste it. However, there are some cases in which the product is inedible such as mold, expiration, or lack of proper sealing. This results in a lot of food waste as there is no compost system in place at the store. Overall, the company is very environmentally-friendly sans greenwashing; although, there is always room for improvement.
Haworth: Presentation
Haworth is a family-owned company with global expertise and design leadership—the only organization in the industry with this unique combination of experience and competency. Complemented by a solid foundation rooted in values, the company strives to be a conscious business—a company with purpose and a history of caring for its members, communities, and the environment. Their values bring balance in all that they do as their organization evolves—even when faced with unprecedented change in the world.
Haworth has created shared value across everything they do. Their approach is rooted in their Values and supports the people, communities, and planet that they serve. They craft each distinct Organic Workspace with this idea in mind, helping their team perform their best – with minimal impact to our planet.
As a company they’ve spent 30+ years in global markets to bring the best ideas from around the world directly to their customers, they’ve positioned themselves to support their members, communities, and customers. They design, source, and manufacture products in the markets where they are delivered. The majority of their business is done locally—supporting sustainability and the communities where their clients and members live and work. As a true global company, they deliver the best in design and performance to clients wherever they are in the world.
Haworth spends countless hours investigating the links between workspace design and performance, studying how space influences people’s behaviors and experience at work. Organic Workspace leverages this research and applies circular design thinking that places people, communities, and our planet first. Each unique Organic Workspace serves as a living organism that can adapt as people and organizations need.
In 2019, the company gathered 64 top leaders from across their company, including Commercial Interiors, Lifestyle Designs, and Performance Technology, to build upon their heritage and values of becoming a sustainable corporation. Drawing from experts from within the company and outside their industry, they developed ambitious targets for leveraging their core strengths and driving their mission forward. The result of the collaborative work is a focused strategy centered on three key areas that form a road map for continuous improvement. These three areas are people and community, circular economy, and operational performance.
Community and People
As of December 31, 2019, Haworth employed more than 7,500 people, whom they call members. The company relies on their members and collaborates on one key goal: to help people do great work— within the company, community, and for customers. To deliver on their first goal, they empower members through a vast array of purpose-driven experiences, continuous learning, and leadership development opportunities. Members around the world connect to bring a spirit of optimism, drive, inclusiveness, and an unwavering appreciation for service.
Haworth recognizes that their success is intrinsically linked to the vitality of the communities where they live and work. Their second goal is to contribute to community prosperity by leveraging resources and expertise to partner with community leaders who are evolving the economic and social systems in their own backyard. In addition to offering the companies time, Haworth and its members contribute financial resources to support community initiatives. For 53 years, members in North America have had the opportunity to contribute to United Way, helping to provide programs and services to improve people’s lives in four areas: basic needs, health, education, and financial stability. In 2019, members generously contributed $302,028.
Circular Economy
Haworth’s design philosophy has resulted in numerous innovations that have transformed millions of people’s work experience. Design thinking permeates everything they do—from products to spaces. The company incorporates two key elements: performance and desire. This combination, along with four design characteristics—open, informed, experiential, applied—complement their pursuit to create Organic Workspace environments that align people and space for optimal performance. All Haworth members are part of creating something—from presentations to new products, process improvement, and customers’ collective experiences. Design thinking is ingrained in their culture—it speaks to who they are, what they care about, and why their company exists.
Operational Performance
Manufacturing and environmental responsibility is not a trade-off; neither are profit and people. Haworth continues to seek opportunities to address the environmental impact of their business in all facets of their operations. The company believes operating a sustainable corporation will allow them to help people do great things for generations to come. Customers care about the quality of the products they buy. They also care about the work that goes into those products. Within the companies own facilities, and in collaboration with their suppliers, they strive for healthy social and environmental working conditions. Using the Supplier Code of Conduct, they work together to increase the transparency of sustainability standards addressing worker safety, labor compensation, anti-discrimination, anti-corruption, worker respect, and environmental compliance.
Cherry Republic
People:One of Bob’s beliefs is that “When you give back to a community and to the people, they will give back to you.” One of my favorite things about Cherry Republic (Pre-Covid) is that they always have free samples in every store. At the beginning of Covid, Cherry Republic started “Operation Cherry Cheer” which sent out one gift box to a frontline worker everyday for 60 days. An important value for the business is fair treatment of all employees, allowing them to be innovators, since they are such a large part of what makes it run. Cherry Republic even paid for a portion of their employee solar panel installation, and wants to assist all employees interested in renewable energy going forward.
Planet: Bob Sutherland himself is a member of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and the Michigan Climate Action Network. He has presented in community engagement sessions with FLOW (For the Love of Water) and signed the Leaders Letter addressing more government regulations for businesses. There is a 1% tariff implemented on all purchases enacted by the Cherry Republic legislature in 2002 that is donated to agricultural programs and farmers in northern Michigan intended to preserve farmland and strengthen the farm economy. Bob has also committed to giving 1% of all sales to environment and community groups, donating over $2 million over the past 30 years towards groups protecting our land, air, and water in Michigan. You can find a list of organizations these donations are funded to by clicking this link. One of my favorite (and most tasty) environmentally friendly practices of Cherry Republic is the refillable growlers used for pop or beer. You can purchase a large glass growler for $12 which can be refilled every time you bring it back to the store for $5. They also have a beautiful perennial garden at the Homeland in Glen Arbor which helps with maintaining soil structure and nutrients, enhancing biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and can help with flooding.
Profit:A business requires money, and Cherry Republic has been profitable by selling over 200 products worth of cherry products, as well as novelties such as t-shirts, wine glasses, stickers, and more. Having 6 locations all in tourist towns brings in a great following from all over the world, as well as the option to order products online.
Areas of improvement:Packaging as of right now is made from only 20% post-consumer recycled material, but other practices could include using compostable packaging instead. I couldn’t find information on what their shirts are made of, but it would be great if the shirts were made from an organic or recycled material as well. I would also suggest collecting any compostable materials (leftover food waste, etc.) to be used for soil growing purposes and transported to local farmers, if that were a possibility. Lastly, I was unable to find any information on the total number of emissions, and I believe that all companies should be honest and share their carbon footprint in order to receive feedback on more sustainable business practices.
J and N Greenhouses is a family owned and operated business that began production in 1976. The company is home to five acres with multiple greenhouses spread across three locations in Hudsonville, MI, approximately 15 minutes away from Grand Valley’s campus, and one in Zeeland, MI. Although J and N does not have a website specifically detailing how their operation works or practices they partake in that may be considered sustainable, I began working there a few months back and have gained an understanding of sustainability measures they do well, and not so well.
With such a large amount of greenhouses, J and N has found a few different ways of conserving energy that not only reduce costs for the organization, but impacts on the planet as well. A few years back, all of the grow lights used for the plants were switched to LED bulbs which helps save a large amount of energy and cuts costs. As the greenhouses are filled with plants, partitions in the form of plastic sheeting are used to divide the sections not yet being used from those that are, helping to lock in heat rather than using energy sources to keep the plants at a comfortable temperature. Another feature of J and N are the natural gas fuel conditioners that are installed on every furnace with the purpose of increasing burning efficiency. While this feature may benefit the company, the fuel conditioner may not be so good for the environment in the ways they consume the finite resource. One of the owners of J and N has said they have looked into solar panels as a source of energy but he does not think this option would be cost effective for their operation, although making the switch would certainly be better for the environment.
In addition to reducing their energy usage, J and N also enforces practices that aim to reduce their emissions. Heat curtains have been placed in the seed house to help retain heat by reflecting infrared radiation back into the greenhouse that is given off from inside. These curtains decrease the need for heating amenities in this specific structure and therefore help reduce the carbon footprint of J and N. Another feature that helps reduce their carbon footprint comes in the form of a double layer plastic placed on top of each greenhouse. This plastic component does not allow water to get inside, keeping the greenhouses dry and eliminating the need to constantly dehumidify. The plastic layer allows the wanted light to pass through but keeps out harmful rays. The double layer with air between also acts as a form of insulation creating a reduced need for heat from other sources that would increase emissions. I would identify the practices listed above relating to energy efficiency and reductions as areas of strength in terms of planet and profit. These alternative ways of operation have reduced emissions, the carbon footprint, and costs for J and N.
One of the first things I noticed while working for this business was the huge amount of plants they throw out, usually from the previous year. Prior to throwing out these large quantities of plants, the employers at J and N will ask all of us employees if we want to take any to keep, but if not, they are dumped. Many of these plants are food items that could be used for a much better purpose such as donating to help those in need. This wastefulness is an area of weakness that could be improved to socially do more for the public, or the people aspect of the triple bottom line. Although I originally thought this company seemed a bit wasteful, after conducting further research I have realized all the ways they save, reuse, and recycle. J and N utilizes a company called East Jordan Plastics for much of their recycling. This company happens to also sell 100% recycled plant trays which J and N purchases from, meaning they give their materials back and eventually may reuse them later. They sell to a company known as Luurtsema Sales Inc. who highly values sustainability. Luurtsema has a program where they allow the stores that sell to them to give back empty containers to be cleaned and recycled or reused, which is where J and N receives another portion of their pots and containers from. One of the most noticeable sustainable practices J and N upholds is propagating their own plants. For much of the start of the growing season I spent my time taking cuttings off larger plants and placing them into smaller flats to begin growing. This act is beneficial for cost purposes and reduces the need for transportation to ship new plants to the business which benefits the environment as well.
Overall J and N has a variety of strengths connected to their sustainability principles and practices, more specifically in correspondence with profit and planet aspects. There are however some ways in which they could improve what they do socially, or the lack thereof, but this organization has made many improvements since they began operating and continues to do so.
Presentation Template 11x17.pptxSKYMINT Brands is a cultivation facility, founded by Jeff Radway in Bay City Michigan the year of 2017. Since then, SKYMINT has developed ten other locations holding sustainability as one of its core values, and has striven to achieve environmental goals and practice in how the company grows and sells their product.
SKYMINT is clear in their company principles that sustainability must be achieved. They have dedicated this focus by ensuring the best team of cultivators, with agriculture and sustainability degrees, to improve their overall sustainability as a company. SKYMINT farms has worked to ensure environmental sustainability through diversified farming. Aside from crop rotation that allows nutrients to be replenished back into the soil, SKYMINT ensures that all plants are provided with natural amenities such as the use of solar power, rainwater, and sunlight. They use the beauty of their farm to show their customers the value of our Earth, and to show the demonstration of incorporation with their company concepts of sustainability. Industrial agriculture is the third largest contributor to climate change. It depletes the land of its nutrients while emitting significant amounts of C02 into the atmosphere. SKYMINT Farms is designed to help better our world. Within the next two years this company plans to add grazing animals to make the farm biodynamic, allowing for a truly sustainable environment. SKYMINT also aims to be Sun+Earth certified, dedicating their commitment to maintaining sustainability and its core values.
Another principle that SKYMINT strives to achieve consist of community engagement. SKYMINT Brands has worked to build trust within their local communities, dedicating their time into focusing on areas that seek improvement. This company has become a sponsor of Forgotten Harvest, donations to the annual Hope for Holidays event allows for enough food to feed thousands of families in Michigan. Striving to give back, SKYMINT values making adjustments within the company in order to provide the best plants, and this initiates with a happy and healthy community.
After realizing these positive effects SKYMINT developed the motto “happy plants make happy people, and happy people make happy plants”, which they truly began to follow. This company follows the philosophy that lies behind the belief of cannabis having the power to change lives, and they strive to do the same. Initially, this company noticed their plants being stressed. They were improperly grown, and a lot of value and time had been wasted. To conquer this issue, the founder of SKYMINT, Jeff Radway, devoted his time to ensuring proper use of humans as resources, as he believed plant growth excelled in the wake of company adjustments. SKYMINT had built their cultivation in one of the poorest counites in Michigan, creating opportunities for the middle class. The flow of new jobs allowed for empowerment to spread throughout the community. Radway began empowering his employees through premium benefits, playing music, and occasional catered lunches. The employees of SKYMINT showed their appreciation by tending the plants with appreciation. Leaving all plants with the option to be purchased, less resources were used and wasted. This resulted in higher satisfaction for the employer, employees, and all customers.
As you can see, SKYMINT has worked very hard to build the reputation of being a sustainable cultivation facility, and their efforts have left them above average. This company cherishes the environment, and inspires many of its customers to allow the land to withhold value.
