Ethical Entrpreneurs Heading for the Big Time

On Monday I posted a
piece on Timberland (Ethical
Debate Booted About) and on the same day it was announced that the company
has taken over one of the coolest UK eco / ethical brands Howies. In a personal statement on their website David and Claire announce the "exiting
news" giving their reasons for the move and what it will mean.

The two have spent a decade building the business in true entrepreneurial style
saying that it took "time, energy and love," and added "It helps
to have an unshakeable belief in what you are doing. I have learnt too that it
helps if you are as stubborn as a mule. And, it also helps if you are willing
to risk everything you have."

The two are rightly proud of what they have achieved and comment, "The
good news is we are growing like heck. The bad news is we are growing like
heck."  the consequence being they "realised that we would need
more funding and this time it would take millions of pounds. We had already
re-mortgaged our house twice, and used the rest of the house to guarantee the
company overdraft. All our savings had gone into howies. We have never been the
highest paid people at howies. Instead we preferred to invest in building the
team that would build the company." 

The answer they decided was "to find a like-minded company to help howies
become brilliant at being howies."  Apparently being brilliant at
being howies means, "to try and show that there is another way to do
business. And to try and change things that we think are dumb."
Sentiment that fits well with the aim of Jeff Swartz who said " I want people to believe in the power ot the marketplace to make things better."

The couple sonsidered three options and commenting on the decision to choose Timberland they said, "After
speaking to all three, we knew whom we wanted to partner with. And that was
Timberland. It just felt right from the first phone call. They were down to
earth and honest, forward looking and into ideas and their values matched our
own. They understood why we do business our way. It’s their way too." They
add, "Our aim wasn’t to get the biggest deal but to find the right one for
howies. Our Financial Advisors would never fully understand our thinking on
that."

So what will Timberland mean for howies? Well, it will help them make better
and lower impact products and do more good they say. They keep a stake in the business
as part of the deal and maintain creative control and the same management team.

Their aim now is one that all ethical entrepreneurs must share, "show
everyone out there that there is another way to do business."

Comments from the Timberland Press Release say, "today announced that it has acquired Howies
Limited, an active sports brand founded on the idea of designing and
manufacturing clothing for the inspired action sports and outdoor
customer. Howies was created to serve as a voice and mechanism for
communicating a core environmental and social conscience, to ask a
different question and show the world that there is another way to do
business."

"We are excited and inspired by the brand potential we see in
Howies and are pleased to welcome them to the Timberland family," said
Jeffrey Swartz, Timberland’s President and CEO. "We look to invest in
like-minded brands that are focused on innovation, authenticity and
integrity, and Howies encompasses all of these core values. Together
we will leverage our complementary strengths to bring our brands to
new consumers and new markets."

For the full story see the links in the article.

Article contributed by Ethical
Design Lab