Click here for Part I & Part II

Forging a more sustainable connection between consumers and the environment

Susan Aplin is the CEO and co-founder of Bambeco, a multi-channel retailer that designs and manufactures sustainable home goods. Launched 8 years ago, on Earth Day, Bambeco is dedicated to addressing environmental change by selling ecologically sound, energy-reducing products. The company offers a wide range of furniture, home decor, bed and bath, and outdoor options, regularly cycling in seasonal and holiday-themed items. Additionally, Bambeco partners with environmentalist groups such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, and the Whole Planet Foundation.

EDWIN WARFIELD: As Bambeco meets its environmental goals, how do you ensure the company stays profitable? Are you able to model the company after other home goods brands like Wayfarer and Jet?

SUSAN APLIN: I always envisioned that this company would have a different model and a path to our ultimate success. To be a truly sustainable company, we need to reach profitability and sustain profitability and be a healthy business.

While market share is very important to us—and we’re pushing for market share—it’s not just our number one strategy. I’ve taken a more balanced approach in terms of our model. The strategy I’ve always believed in is that we should be able to raise a fraction of the money to reach the same heights, but just do it in a very different way. Where I think you were you are speaking about how much money Wayfarer had raised earlier, and Jet—and some other companies in the flash sale industry, as well, raise hundreds of millions of dollars—that’s not really what our plan is, and I don’t believe Bambeco really has to do that to reach our success.

I would take you back again to my conversation with Chuck Williams. My decision to do this wasn’t just the $25 billion market opportunity that’s really exploding now. Go back to that moment where, if you have a passion for this, then you can get up and do this every day. You need to be passionate, because you’re going to have very hard days as an entrepreneur, whether they’re funding issues or business related issues.

Q. What particular environmental issues are you most interested in solving?

A. I’m fortunate, with the way I grew up and with my family—we spent a lot of time outdoors; I spent a lot of time in the National Parks—so when I really ask myself fundamental questions about why I wanted to do this and what positive impact would we be making on the planet as a company: Where could we make the greatest contribution? It was around land preservation, it was around clean water, and it was around removing toxicity that’s coming in the home today.

Water and land preservation are directly in alignment with climate change. The number one thing that we can do as a home company is not tear down trees to build furniture. This is a factory-reclaimed pallet cart [points] to table that’s a coffee table now. This particular sofa [points to sofa] is made from Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, and the cushions inside of it are basically wool and natural latex-wrapped. Wool is a flame-retardant, so when you talk about the toxicity you’re not taking toxicity into the home.

Water is a huge issue right now. Every 20 seconds, a child is dying for the lack of water around the world. Today, we’ve reduced about 400 million gallons of water in the production of our processes just by changing how we’re producing products today. I’m a huge believer that when we decided to do this company that we could do it right, with integrity, and be an authentic brand and make a positive impact.

Connect with Susan on LinkedIn

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Edwin Warfield, CEO of citybizlist, conducts the CEO Interviews.

If you're interested in reaching CEOs, please contact edwin.warfield@citybuzz.co

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