Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Burlington.

After finishing the three hour trek, we climbed out of the car, got lots of kisses from Memere and my Aunties, and enjoyed an evening of catching up and crying and the like. It was so sweet to see them again. My brother had flown in and we caught up, too.

Then we went to bed. And woke up. And it was the third day.

My brother had a business meeting at Seventh Generation headquarters in Burlington, Vermont, and kindly asked them if I could attend, since he knows I am a huge fan of their products and their mission. I was slightly ridiculously giddy.

It also meant an hour in the car with my brother, which, twenty years ago, would have meant certain death for one of us. But now that we are growed up and like each other, it was great.

There is basically one way to Burlington from St. Johnsbury and that one way was jammed with construction traffic. I felt this gentleman's pain.


I waved nicely, but he didn't see.

We made it to the lobby of 7G (as my brother, who is so much cooler than I, referred to it) with a minute to spare. We were kindly greeted, offered water, and then given a tour of the facility.


Y'all. I was in heaven.

If you want to talk about environmental sustainability, these guys are hardcore. Every last employee is encouraged and motivated to create personal goals to make choices that positively impact the environment. They even compost in the office kitchen. The atmosphere is relaxed but focused and I definitely got the impression that these guys are passionate about making products that are effective and environmentally responsible. A tricky task in the face of the ammonia our moms used to mop our kitchen floors.

I can't go into detail about the meeting, but I can tell you that I was able to meet some higher-ups who were kind, intelligent, and engaging. As I wolfed down my organic blueberry muffin and dug through the bowl of fresh strawberries they had setting out for us, I nodded emphatically at some of their suggestions. And I'm sure I blushed like a dork when they asked for my input on a few things. If they were just being nice in doing so, then so be it! They are nice!


They even gave us each a 7G (woot) Klean Kanteen and notepad. Delightful.

Since I did not want to be a mega-creeper and photograph their entire facility (I'm sure my camera would have been kindly confiscated), I only snapped a few of the atrium inside the facility. It was bright and cheery and very much representative of my visit there.


I wish I could go into more detail, but I will just tell you this: I'm more convinced than ever that this is an intentional, authentic company with goals that trickle down from product manufacturing to personal trash cans. They know what they're doing, and they're doing it right.

Next up: The rest of Vermont!

Have a lovely day.

3 comments:

  1. How cool! I love their products, but now I'm even more inspired to buy them!

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  2. I'm a total nerd but I'm kinda jealous you go to go there. I love their stuff and use it religiously. ha!

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  3. Looks like a great trip! I'm glad you had such an awesome time!

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