THIS IS TOUGH ONE…
The name of his company is central to what Jeffrey Hollender believes; that In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations. What Hollender now considers was unthinkable only three years ago: selling to Wal-Mart.
From Fortune:
Privately-held Seventh Generation’s non-toxic products — which range from laundry detergent to toilet paper and diapers — will generate about $100 million in sales this year and are currently found everywhere from Target to Walgreens to Amazon.
The change of heart, Hollender said, came as the result of the retailer’s broad-based sustainability efforts, a private meeting he had with CEO Lee Scott late last year, and an internal review of 17 retailers that graded each on their commitment to greener business practices.
“Three years ago, I would have never imagined even considering doing business with them,” Hollender said. “[But] the progress they have made is beyond what I imagined or hoped for three years ago.”
A large part of me wanted to call Hollender a hypocrite, but he’s right. If your company’s goal is to get more people to buy environmentally friendly and safe products, then you want to find the widest possible distribution system. Selling in local co-ops and health food stores may feel purer, but it’s not going to achieve the central goal.
And perhaps, just perhaps, the soul-selling is going the other way. Maybe Lee Scott is selling a bit of his corporate soul, a tiny piece that might grow in the years to come.
In seven generations, a lot can happen.