consumers is via their website. They
get a lot of traffic from customers who
find their hand-knitting yarns in retail
locations. On the retail level, Vermont
Organic Fiber Co. provides marketing
and support materials, including point
of sale items to help reach out directly
to consumers. Catalog retailers even
get help with their copywriting from
Vermont Organic Fiber Co. if they
need it. Because of this opportunity to
educate, Mole concentrates much of
his efforts on catalog retailers. Mole
also reaches out to students at design
schools by offering a discount so they
can become familiar with his product.
Greener Organic Wool
What has always been important to
Mole remains central to the company’s mission more than ever. He wanted to start a company that would be
nothing but positive to the environment. It’s something he has already
achieved, yet it also continues to evolve. Mole is very conscious of how his product is being transported around the world and tries to avoid the use of air-freight. Production stays on schedule so they can use rail or boat for transport
rather than air. One way he reduces transportation miles is by creating strong
relationships with manufacturers so that they can cluster production steps closer together. They are working to identify manufacturers who are geographically
closer together to reduce both transportation and environmental costs.
Internally they look at the use of resources like paper and other materials. Can
they cut back on processing aids? Can they run a machine a little slower? It is
questions like these that Mole asks frequently to keep Vermont Organic Fiber
evolving in an eco-conscious way. He is also always working with his processors
to get them thinking about changes they could make. Could they switch their
boilers to bio-fuel? Recently he got a processor to stop spraying for moths and
put in an organic pest control system instead. “These are the little changes that
give me a lot of joy,” says Mole. “Getting them to understand the big picture,
how the materials we are using every day impact the environment and what
alternatives are healthier for the environment. If everyone makes a little
change, it can create a large change.”
After all, besides wrapping up in an organic wool blanket, another great way
to get that warm and fuzzy feeling this winter is knowing you are doing all you can to make the world a better place.
Heather Larson is a contributing writer for Organic Processing Magazine. She can be reached
at heather@organicprocessing.com.
