Ray Anderson: Corporate Ethos

overhauling a company’s best practices

overhauling a company’s best practices seems like an impossible task but it all

seems like an impossible task but it all

seems like an impossible task but it all starts with one mind at a time according

starts with one mind at a time according

starts with one mind at a time according to interface founder ray anderson hi I’m

to interface founder ray anderson hi I’m

to interface founder ray anderson hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to

Rebecca Brayton and welcome to

Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking

watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking

watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with this radical industrialist to learn

with this radical industrialist to learn

with this radical industrialist to learn how his company became one of the

how his company became one of the

how his company became one of the greenest in America how did you manage

greenest in America how did you manage

greenest in America how did you manage to overhaul an entire company’s

to overhaul an entire company’s

to overhaul an entire company’s practices I spoke at every opportunity

practices I spoke at every opportunity

practices I spoke at every opportunity time people plant meeting sales meetings

time people plant meeting sales meetings

time people plant meeting sales meetings whatever the same message consistently

whatever the same message consistently

whatever the same message consistently persistently we have to do this as we

persistently we have to do this as we

persistently we have to do this as we began to gain some traction people could

began to gain some traction people could

began to gain some traction people could begin to see the results the waste

begin to see the results the waste

begin to see the results the waste elimination effort began to rack up huge

elimination effort began to rack up huge

elimination effort began to rack up huge savings very early on the low-hanging

savings very early on the low-hanging

savings very early on the low-hanging fruit people began to think about these

fruit people began to think about these

fruit people began to think about these things and then the marketplace began to

things and then the marketplace began to

things and then the marketplace began to embrace the company for what we were

embrace the company for what we were

embrace the company for what we were doing so it was one mind at a time and

doing so it was one mind at a time and

doing so it was one mind at a time and then it was one technology at a time

then it was one technology at a time

then it was one technology at a time it’s in the DNA now I’ve been effaced

it’s in the DNA now I’ve been effaced

it’s in the DNA now I’ve been effaced not every single person but the vast

not every single person but the vast

not every single person but the vast majority of our people really get it

majority of our people really get it

majority of our people really get it reminds me of your love on the factory

reminds me of your love on the factory

reminds me of your love on the factory floor story well yeah one of our first

floor story well yeah one of our first

floor story well yeah one of our first class for Ray’s was one of the big

class for Ray’s was one of the big

class for Ray’s was one of the big multinational food companies and 15

multinational food companies and 15

multinational food companies and 15 people to LaGrange Georgia took carpet

people to LaGrange Georgia took carpet

people to LaGrange Georgia took carpet mill and one woman in the group did not

mill and one woman in the group did not

mill and one woman in the group did not want to be there so she was antagonistic

want to be there so she was antagonistic

want to be there so she was antagonistic belligerent and they came to the break

belligerent and they came to the break

belligerent and they came to the break in the mid morning and she had they

in the mid morning and she had they

in the mid morning and she had they weren’t accomplished from out in the

weren’t accomplished from out in the

weren’t accomplished from out in the middle of the factory so to get to the

middle of the factory so to get to the

middle of the factory so to get to the ladies room she actually had to go

ladies room she actually had to go

ladies room she actually had to go through the factory so on her way back

through the factory so on her way back

through the factory so on her way back she encountered this fork truck driver

she encountered this fork truck driver

she encountered this fork truck driver with a huge roll of carpet on his farm

with a huge roll of carpet on his farm

with a huge roll of carpet on his farm truck and she stopped him and she said

truck and she stopped him and she said

truck and she stopped him and she said what do you do here and he said ma’am I

what do you do here and he said ma’am I

what do you do here and he said ma’am I come to work every day to help save the

come to work every day to help save the

come to work every day to help save the earth it just stunned her so she began

earth it just stunned her so she began

earth it just stunned her so she began to try to draw him out you know what do

to try to draw him out you know what do

to try to draw him out you know what do you mean and after a couple of minutes

you mean and after a couple of minutes

you mean and after a couple of minutes if he said ma’am I don’t want to be rude

if he said ma’am I don’t want to be rude

if he said ma’am I don’t want to be rude but if I don’t get this roll of carpet

but if I don’t get this roll of carpet

but if I don’t get this roll of carpet of that machine in the next minute i

of that machine in the next minute i

of that machine in the next minute i wasting emissions are going out of

wasting emissions are going out of

wasting emissions are going out of control I have to go she came back to

control I have to go she came back to

control I have to go she came back to the meeting and the interface person

the meeting and the interface person

the meeting and the interface person who’s running the meeting said she was a

who’s running the meeting said she was a

who’s running the meeting said she was a visible different person no one knew

visible different person no one knew

visible different person no one knew that this had happened but she took a

that this had happened but she took a

that this had happened but she took a seat and she said that very quietly very

seat and she said that very quietly very

seat and she said that very quietly very thought

thought

thought in total contrast the way she had been

in total contrast the way she had been

in total contrast the way she had been and then after a while she began to

and then after a while she began to

and then after a while she began to challenge her people who aren’t we doing

challenge her people who aren’t we doing

challenge her people who aren’t we doing this why aren’t we doing that and then

this why aren’t we doing that and then

this why aren’t we doing that and then she told the story on herself of her

she told the story on herself of her

she told the story on herself of her encounter on the factory floor should

encounter on the factory floor should

encounter on the factory floor should I’ve never seen such a landman from the

I’ve never seen such a landman from the

I’ve never seen such a landman from the very top of a company clear to the

very top of a company clear to the

very top of a company clear to the factory floor and the only word I can

factory floor and the only word I can

factory floor and the only word I can think of that describes it is love