http://www.triplepundit.com/2008/10/green-challenge-showcase-swift-sample-waste-initiative-for-the-furniture-and-textile-industries/ Business, Better. Since 2005 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:33:24 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://www.triplepundit.com/2008/10/green-challenge-showcase-swift-sample-waste-initiative-for-the-furniture-and-textile-industries/comment-page-1/#comment-15666 Sue Patrolia Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:49:09 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2008/10/green-challenge-showcase-swift-sample-waste-initiative-for-the-furniture-and-textile-industries/#comment-15666 Hi Lauren, You can contact Joe Stalnaker at jstalnaker@avaicg.com to find out more details. Swift is moving forward working with manufacturers to reduce the upstream sample waste, but we are having trouble finding outlets for reuse. I have tried national retailers like Michaels (hoping to collaborate on teaching people to use it or selling it with net profits to charity) without success. I also tried 10,000 Villages hoping they might consider using their business model in the US, but again without success. If anyone has any ideas please feel free to contact me. Thanks, Sue Patrolia Hi Lauren,
You can contact Joe Stalnaker at jstalnaker@avaicg.com to find out more details.
Swift is moving forward working with manufacturers to reduce the upstream sample waste, but we are having trouble finding outlets for reuse. I have tried national retailers like Michaels (hoping to collaborate on teaching people to use it or selling it with net profits to charity) without success. I also tried 10,000 Villages hoping they might consider using their business model in the US, but again without success.
If anyone has any ideas please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
Sue Patrolia

]]> http://www.triplepundit.com/2008/10/green-challenge-showcase-swift-sample-waste-initiative-for-the-furniture-and-textile-industries/comment-page-1/#comment-9873 Lauren Sat, 21 Feb 2009 14:08:10 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2008/10/green-challenge-showcase-swift-sample-waste-initiative-for-the-furniture-and-textile-industries/#comment-9873 I read an article in the Houston Chronicle that featured SWIFT and I was so excited to see they are Houston based. I would love to donate fabric to this cause but not sure whom to contact. My name and email are listed below. I read an article in the Houston Chronicle that featured SWIFT and I was so excited to see they are Houston based. I would love to donate fabric to this cause but not sure whom to contact. My name and email are listed below.

]]> http://www.triplepundit.com/2008/10/green-challenge-showcase-swift-sample-waste-initiative-for-the-furniture-and-textile-industries/comment-page-1/#comment-9872 Ed Delhagen Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:11:02 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2008/10/green-challenge-showcase-swift-sample-waste-initiative-for-the-furniture-and-textile-industries/#comment-9872 Congratulations on your initiative. Like most areas in need of "change," the fabric world will yield when the right set of motivations shows up. Sometimes this comes from within the industry, often from outside, best when both appear together. I worked with furniture makers for ~8 years to encourage use of certified wood in their products. There was considerable resistance to change. However, once a few leaders from the industry began to speak up--the early adopters who were both mavens and sales people--others began to pay attention. The major force for change came from an effort to organize the furniture buyers. We worked with this group to find out what they needed, how they specified products, then worked through multiple variations to discover ways to meet their needs and address their fears. The end results were both greater comfort and recognition that they were part of the problem but more important, they were key to the solution. It takes time for people to leave their old patterns behind and courage to break from the pack. For people who work in hierarchies where someone else "makes the decisions" it takes even more time to help change makers find their wings. But somewhere within the sector you are working with there is a small set of players who can demonstrate the change you give voice to. Network change patterns tend to follow the same pathway: start small, build success, find mavens-connectors-salespeople, and keep trying. Build in feedback loops, including people who continue to say "It will never happen." Often these individuals are the best weathervanes. The role of the network weaver is essential: there are always people with a need and desire who cannot find one another. It takes a lot of effort to find the right people. Network weavers make these essential connections. Keep up your excellent work. There is a way to crack the nut. Congratulations on your initiative. Like most areas in need of “change,” the fabric world will yield when the right set of motivations shows up. Sometimes this comes from within the industry, often from outside, best when both appear together.
I worked with furniture makers for ~8 years to encourage use of certified wood in their products. There was considerable resistance to change. However, once a few leaders from the industry began to speak up–the early adopters who were both mavens and sales people–others began to pay attention.
The major force for change came from an effort to organize the furniture buyers. We worked with this group to find out what they needed, how they specified products, then worked through multiple variations to discover ways to meet their needs and address their fears. The end results were both greater comfort and recognition that they were part of the problem but more important, they were key to the solution. It takes time for people to leave their old patterns behind and courage to break from the pack.
For people who work in hierarchies where someone else “makes the decisions” it takes even more time to help change makers find their wings. But somewhere within the sector you are working with there is a small set of players who can demonstrate the change you give voice to. Network change patterns tend to follow the same pathway: start small, build success, find mavens-connectors-salespeople, and keep trying. Build in feedback loops, including people who continue to say “It will never happen.” Often these individuals are the best weathervanes.
The role of the network weaver is essential: there are always people with a need and desire who cannot find one another. It takes a lot of effort to find the right people. Network weavers make these essential connections.
Keep up your excellent work. There is a way to crack the nut.

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