A leader in Eco-Friendly, Sustainable, and Bio-Degradable Products
Envirotextiles in Glenwood Springs, CO, is a pioneer in the development of hemp and hemp blend textiles.We were fortunate enough to spend several days with them recently and not only had a chance to learn more about their business, they shared a bit of their philosophy with us as well.Spearheaded by their tireless and charismatic founder Barbara Fillipone, they are leading by example the efforts to improve corporate responsibility and transparency in manufacturing processes and labeling.Her daughter Summer, through her work with the Hemp Industry Association, in addition to running the day to day operations, directs their efforts to help legalize industrial hemp production in the U. S.
Working out of an old log church which they have lovingly rescued from a state of disrepair, Barbara, Summer, and their dedicated staff, designs, imports, and distributes a beautiful array of hemp and hemp blend textiles to manufacturers here and abroad.Barbara’s expertise in all aspects of the textile trade, and her dedication to sustainable manufacturing practices is reflected in the company’s products and culture.Barbara splits her time between their operations in Glenwood Springs and their manufacturing partners overseas.Her “hands-on” approach to every aspect of their business, from the raw materials to the social equity and manufacturing transparency policies of their suppliers insures both the quality of their goods and the quality of life of their suppliers’ work force.When we arrived, Barbara had just returned from Mexico where she is working on a variety of projects to benefit the locals many of whom work on her products, often at her own expense.Her passion for her products and the people that help make them is inspiring.
There are so many stories that can be told about both Barbara and the company she leads, that it is hard to know where to begin.What started out as a one day visit, soon turned into several very enjoyable days trying to absorb all the projects they are involved with.It also helped lead us to our next stop, but that’s another story!
