Seventh Generation Inc.

Seventh Generation, Inc.

Type	Private
Industry	Natural household products
Founded	1988
Headquarters	Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
Key people	John Replogle, CEO and President
Website	http://www.seventhgeneration.com

Seventh Generation, Inc. is an American company that sells cleaning, paper, and personal care products. The company was founded in 1988 and is based in Burlington, Vermont. The company focuses its marketing and product development on sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. Like some other companies, Seventh Generation uses recycled and post-consumer materials in its packaging and biodegradable, and phosphate- and chlorine-free ingredients in its products.

History

In 1988, Jeffrey Hollender contacted Renew America, a mail-order catalog that sold energy conservation products to raise funds for an environmental organization, asking to purchase an equity stake.

The company attributes the name "Seventh Generation" to the "Great Law of the Haudenosaunee". The company says the document states, "in our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."

In 2010, the company claimed to have $150 Million in annual revenue.

By 1993, there were 27 branded products, sold at natural food stores across the United States.

In 2009, the state of Washington banned the sale of phosphate products, a measure aimed at reducing water pollution. An Associated Press dispatch reported that residents using hard water felt forced to purchase banned products out of state because of the impression that the non-phosphate products, including Seventh Generation, did not work well on dishes. Defenders replied that the true culprit was hard water, which is mineral-rich and resistant to soap. In 2010, a national voluntary ban on phosphates in dishwasher detergents was implemented by many members of the American Cleaning Institute (formerly the Soap and Detergent Association), a manufacturer's trade group representing most detergent companies.

Awards

Seventh Generation has received multiple awards.

• 2004 Corporate Stewardship Award for Small Business from the United States Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship. Award recipients were selected based on "a demonstration of ethical leadership and corporate stewardship, making a difference in their communities, and contributions to the advancement of important economic and social goals."

• Fastest Growing Company in Vermont - 5x5x5 Award from Vermont Business Magazine and KeyBank for "achievements in keeping true to its mission to create healthy products that preserve the environment, every year since 2004."

• Top 10 Responsible Brands in America 2004 – voted the 7th most responsible brand in America by the College Explorer study sponsored by Alloy Media & Marketing. The study utilized only write-in answers as opposed to multiple choices.

• Ceres-ACCA North American Awards for Sustainability Reporting - Best Small or Medium Enterprise Corporate Responsibility Report, April 2006 - the international competition was sponsored by Ceres (organization), a national network of investment funds, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working to advance environmental stewardship on the part of businesses, in partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and CoVeris, an independent corporate verification firm. Ceres called Seventh Generation’s report "a pioneering effort in transparency for a privately owned company."

• In 2007, Seventh Generation was named the second fastest growing company in Vermont over the past 10 years.

• Fast Company Social Capitalist Award 2007 – Fast Company magazine and Monitor Group

• The Microsoft Excellence in Environmental Sustainability Award 2008 - Seventh Generation was recognized as a customer who is "using their business management system in an innovative way to track their initiatives around becoming more environmental sustainable."

People

In 2003, the company employed 23 people.

• CEO: John Replogle took over as President and CEO in February 2011, taking over from Chuck Maniscalco, who had served in that position since June 2009 when Jeffrey Hollender stepped aside to become Executive Chairperson. Hollender left the company in November 2010.

References

• Profiles in Business: Jeffrey Hollender and Seventh Generation
• Seventh Generation- Preserving the Planet for Next Seven Generations and Beyond
• Consumers Tap Whole Foods, Burt’s Bees, Trader Joe’s As Top Green Brands
• Green Clean Challenge
• The Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire

External links

• Seventh Generation official website
• 7Gen - official blog of Seventh Generation
• The Inspired Protagonist - Jeffrey Hollender's official blog
• Jeffrey Hollender: Seventh Generation, Triple Bottom Line Entrepreneur
• Fast Company: Profits with Purpose: Seventh Generation