Beyond Zero

Ray Anderson had spent 20 years building Interface, the largest carpet tile company in the world, when he was blindsided with a new kind of problem in 1994. That year he lost a large order when an environmental consultant objected to buying carpet tiles from Interface.  To make sure this never happened again, Ray convened an environmental task force and now, he was scheduled to share his environmental vision in a kick-off speech.  But he had not a clue what to say. 

 

Serendipitously, a copy of Paul Hawken’s new book, “The Ecology of Commerce”, arrived on Ray’s desk.  Desperate for inspiration, Ray tore into the book hoping to find a vision beyond mere legal compliance. What he found hit him like a spear in the chest.It changed his life forever, and set his company on a mission with the potential to change the world.

Awards & Festivals: