Interface Carpet Company Ray Anderson

Ray anderson founder of interface and green business pioneer died monday from cancer at the age of 77 leaving an important legacy.

Interface carpet company ray anderson.

He shook the foundations of the petroleum intensive carpet manufacturing industry by declaring that interface was committed to becoming the world s first environmentally sustainable and ultimately restorative company. Its founder ray anderson was featured in the documentary film the corporation discussing environmental sustainability in modern business. He proved to the world that swinging for the sustainability. The company has one plant and 15 employees.

Anderson july 28 1934 august 8 2011 was founder and chairman of interface inc one of the world s largest manufacturers of modular carpet for commercial and residential applications and a leading producer of commercial broadloom and commercial fabrics. When reading greenbiz or any of the other numerous media channels that cater to the field of sustainable business it s easy to forget that such a notion scarcely existed 20 years ago. Hear the story directly from ray in the video below. Anderson who founded the carpet company interface died on monday.

Interface was founded in 1973 by ray anderson whose decade and a half in the carpet trade had led him to create one of the first u s. Ray berard is a senior vice president in interface s r d division overseeing a dozen efforts to design carpet and fabric that can be pulled apart and turned into carpet again. Twenty years ago last week interface founder and ceo ray anderson spoke the word sustainability for the first time. He was known in environmental circles for his advanced and progressive stance on industrial ecology and sustainability.

Anderson set our company and our people on a path to mission zero with a pledge to reduce our negative impact on the environment and live zero every day. As the father of two daughters he says this was my third child 1978. In a gentle understated way he shares a powerful vision for sustainable commerce. Ray anderson founds interface as a joint venture with carpets international plc a british company to enter the emerging carpet tile market emptying his personal savings accounts and drawing investments from friends.

Anderson founder and former chairman of interface inc. At his carpet company ray anderson has increased sales and doubled profits while turning the traditional take make waste industrial system on its head. Manufacturers of carpet tiles also known as modular carpet or carpet. In 1994 our founder and visionary ray c.