Why am I standing in the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta holding carpet tiles with several of my colleagues? To tell another courageous business that we support them.
Last week I heard that New Belgium Brewing was facing an interesting situation in their home state of Colorado. They are a progressive business that has made strong commitments to sustainability and community. They have done a lot of work on their own footprint, and they also support other environmental issues in the state and beyond.
Their support and partnership with a non-profit organization working to protect watersheds has put them in the cross-hairs of a mining company in Craig, Colorado, where New Belgium’s beer has been removed from stores and restaurants. As a business that shares their beliefs and supports non-profit and advocacy organizations, I wondered how we’d feel if we found ourselves in a similar situation. Then I remembered something our Founder Ray Anderson used to say about the small fraternity of businesses focused on doing business sustainably. He used to say, “Good guys need to hang out together,” knowing that it takes courage, sometimes found in numbers, to think and act differently.
I asked myself what we could do to let New Belgium know it’s not always easy to stand up for what you believe in – but we’re so proud that they do. So, I sent around an email to my Interface colleagues sharing this news. I asked them to wear their bathing suits for a photo that we’d send to the New Belgium team. Eight brave souls showed up, survived a downpour, drank a Fat Tire and created this message for the New Belgium team.
