Your newest competitive advantage? A transparent supply chain.
“I DIDN’T SET OUT TO CREATE A sustainable supply chain,” says Scott Tannen. But in 2013, he was on the hunt for new bed linens, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the Rana Plaza disaster— the Bangladeshi garment-factory collapse that left 1,127 workers dead. He began to wonder about the origins of a rather innocuous sleep accessory: Where did manufacturers get the cotton to produce sheets and pillowcases? How did the fabric get milled? Were the factory workers treated well? But answers were elusive. So Scott and his wife decided to create a luxury-bedsheet company that could answer those questions. Three years later, Boll & Branch, based in Summit, New Jersey, is profitable, with annual sales of more than $40 million and a supply chain that is entirely traceable.
Trying to clean up a supply chain is nothing new—big corporations have been at it for years, mainly as a way to mitigate risks and dodge the next big scandal. But startups, says Steven Swartz, a partner at McKinsey and a supply chain expert, are now realizing that building a better one can provide a competitive edge, particularly among consumers demanding to know where their stuff comes from. —KATE ROCKWOOD
This story is from the May 2017 edition of Inc..
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2017 edition of Inc..
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
7 Ideas : Sheila Johnson
The iconic founder of BET and Salamander Collection draws inspiration from basketball courts and symphony halls.
What's Eating Steve Ells? What Steve Ells is Eating
The founder of Chipotle wants to shake up the restaurant industry again, this time with robot kitchens and plant-based food.
5 Team Player
How Stephen Curry, the NBA’s greatest shooter ever, assembled an all-star business team that wins on social mission as much as money.
Regionals BLAZING A TRAIL TO THE INC. 5000
We're a nation of competitors. Always have been-from the sharp-elbowed scramble for land unleashed by the Homestead Act to the improbable televised spectacle that is the American Cornhole League.
The Cult of the Entrepreneur and How to Avoid It
Imperious, infallible, and fawned over by employees and customers: Don't fall for it. You can succeed without being an asshole.
Insta-Worthy RetailEverything, Everywhere, All at Once
How the designer behind some of today’s buzziest businesses lands in-person experiences that are too good not to gram.
Sallie Krawcheck
On battling burnout, insomnia, and the loneliness of being a WFH CEO.
Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia Is Betting on a New Wave of Design-Led Startups
The former chief product officer of Airbnb helps set the vision for Veeraj Chugh’s high-end webcam startup, Opal Camera.
Be Cool. Or Not
How the creators of one of the most influential brands of the past decade learned that cool is in the eye of the beholder.
Yes, You Can Break Free of Your Brand
People change. Interests evolve. The Cupcake Queen learned that firsthand.