Seventh Generation Inc.

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Seventh Generation, Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryNatural household products
Founded1988; 33 years ago (1988)
FoundersJeffrey Hollender
Alan Newman
Headquarters
Burlington, Vermont
,
U.S.
Key people
, CEO and President
Jeffrey Hollender, Co-Founder
Alan Newman, Co-Founder
ProductsLaundry Detergent
Dish Soap
Personal care
Baby Diapers
Paper Products
Revenue$200 million (2015[1])
OwnerUnilever (2016−present)
Number of employees
170 (2015[1])
Websiteseventhgeneration.com

Seventh Generation, Inc. is an American company that sells eco-friendly cleaning, paper, and personal care products. Established in 1988, the Burlington, Vermont–based company distributes products to natural food stores, supermarkets, mass merchants, and online retailers. In 2016 Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever acquired Seventh Generation for an estimated $700 million.[2]

Seventh Generation focuses its marketing and product development on sustainability and the conservation of natural resources, using recycled and post-consumer materials in its packaging, and biodegradable, and plant-based phosphate- and chlorine-free ingredients in its products.

The company attributes the name "Seventh Generation" to the "Great Law of the Iroquois". The company says the document states, "in our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."[3]

History[]

1988-1990[]

1988: Alan Newman acquires Renew America, a mail-order catalog that sells energy-, water- and resource-saving products. After giving the catalog a new look, an enhanced mix of products, and a new name – Seventh Generation – Newman embarks on a campaign to raise funding for the venture.[citation needed]

1989: Entrepreneur and author of How to Make the World a Better Place, Jeffrey Hollender joins Newman and helps secure much-needed capital.

1989: A mention in the New York Times increases orders seven-fold within a year.[4][citation needed]

1991-2000[]

1992: Newman leaves Seventh Generation to start Magic Hat Brewing Company.[citation needed]

1993: Seventh Generation goes public on 8 November 1993, raising $7 million.[citation needed]

1994: Seventh Generation enters the mass retail market with three products: dishwasher detergent, non-chlorine bleach, and liquid laundry detergent.[citation needed]

1995: Mail-order catalog business sold to Gaiam, Inc. and Seventh Generation focuses solely on its wholesale products business.[citation needed]

2006-2021[]

2009:

  • Former PepsiCo division president, Chuck Maniscalco joins company as CEO.[citation needed]

2016:

  • In September, Unilever Plc. purchased Seventh Generation for an estimated $700 million.[5]

2021:

  • In July 2021, Alison Whritenour became Seventh Generation's first female Chief Executive Officer.

Awards[]

Seventh Generation has received multiple awards.[6][7]

  • 2004 Corporate Stewardship Award for Small Business from the United States Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship. Award recipients were selected based on "a demonstration of ethical leadership and corporate stewardship, making a difference in their communities, and contributions to the advancement of important economic and social goals."[8][9]
  • Fastest Growing Company in Vermont - 5x5x5 Award from Vermont Business Magazine and KeyBank for "achievements in keeping true to its mission to create healthy products that preserve the environment, every year since 2004."[10]
  • Ceres-ACCA North American Awards for Sustainability Reporting - Best Small or Medium Enterprise Corporate Responsibility Report, April 2006 - the international competition was sponsored by Ceres (organization), a national network of investment funds, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working to advance environmental stewardship on the part of businesses, in partnership with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and CoVeris, an independent corporate verification firm. Ceres called Seventh Generation's report "a pioneering effort in transparency for a privately owned company."[11]
  • In 2007, Seventh Generation was named the second fastest growing company in Vermont over the past 10 years.[12]
  • Fast Company Social Capitalist Award 2007 – Fast Company magazine and Monitor Group.[13]
  • The Microsoft Excellence in Environmental Sustainability Award 2008 - Seventh Generation was recognized as a customer who is "using their business management system in an innovative way to track their initiatives around becoming more environmentally sustainable."[14]
  • In 2009, the IT department at Seventh Generation was named number eight in ComputerWorld's "Top Green-IT Organizations." C[15]
  • In 2018, Seventh Generation was recognized as one of "the 50 most sustainable companies in the world" at the SEAL Business Sustainability Awards.[16]

People[]

  • Former CEO: John Replogle took over as president and CEO in February 2011,[17] taking over from Chuck Maniscalco, who had served in that position since June 2009[18] when Jeffrey Hollender stepped aside to become Executive Chairperson.[19] Hollender left the company in November 2010.[20] Joey Bergstein took over as CEO in 2017 as John Replogle stepped into the role of Chairman of the Seventh Generation Social Mission Board.[citation needed]


References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b O'Brien, Sara Ashley (19 September 2016). "Unilever goes green, buys Seventh Generation". CNN Money.
  2. ^ Saabira Chaudhuri and Sharon Terlep (19 September 2016). "Unilever Buys 'Green' Products Maker Seventh Generation". The Wall Street Journal.
  3. ^ "Profits with Purpose: Seventh Generation". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  4. ^ Andrew Nemethy (23 February 1989), "Ecologically Correct Catalogue", The New York Times
  5. ^ TERLEP, SHARON; CHAUDHURI, SAABIRA (19 September 2016). "Unilever Buys 'Green' Products Maker Seventh Generation". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  6. ^ Company News - Functional Ingredients Magazine
  7. ^ The First National Conference on Precaution[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ [1] Archived 15 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Alliance for Sustainability - Previous Events: First Annual Sustainability Awards
  10. ^ "The 5x5x5 Growth Awards: Service/Retail - Seventh Generation - North America > United States from AllBusiness.com". allbusiness.com.
  11. ^ Nike, HP Win Top Honors in Ceres/ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards | GreenBiz.com Archived 28 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Old vs. new". reformer.com.
  13. ^ "The 2008 Social Capitalist Awards - Fast Company". fastcompany.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008.
  14. ^ "Convergence 2008 - Orlando - Customer Excellence". microsoft.com.
  15. ^ Mary K. Pratt (20 April 2009). "Seventh Generation". Computerworld. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  16. ^ "Most Sustainable Companies Honored At 2018 SEAL Awards". SEAL Awards. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Seventh Generation Names John Replogle to Serve as CEO and President". 9 February 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  18. ^ "Taking the Wheel and Riding On". Seventh Generation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  19. ^ "Big Changes at". Seventh Generation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  20. ^ "Important Announcement from". Seventh Generation. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2013.

External links[]

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