According to owner Mindy Schaefer, “Holy Lamb Organics (HLO) has always been extremely environmentally focused. It is one of our core values.” When honored at the Thurston Chamber’s Forum in April with a Green Business Award for a medium-sized company, it showcased how their vision is recognized and celebrated.
Together with her husband, Jason, the couple operates a 20-person manufacturing business in Oakville that is also home to their customer service operations. Their retail store in downtown Olympia features luxurious mattresses, pillows, toppers and comforters. Holy Lamb Organics creates beautiful, sustainably handcrafted products using all natural and organic materials for a healthy, eco-friendly life and home.
“Holy Lamb Organics really excels in green business practices, especially in waste management where we strive to be zero waste,” said Schaefer. All their raw materials are 100% consumed by the production process. Even small scraps are shredded and upcycled into bedding.
Plus, HLO works with their vendors to be more sustainable. For example, their wool vendor is now taking back the plastic originally used to ship them batting. The vendor then re-uses the plastic to send it to HLO again. “Getting another vendor to take that less convenient road is our out-of-the-box kind of thinking,” Schaefer added.
Recognized as using “heritage” methods, HLO craftspeople truly are hand-making all the products, from cutting and tearing fabric by hand to laying the wool. Tufting and stitching are also completed by hand with a bit of perimeter stitching done on a sewing machine. “It is more time consuming, but it really is an art form.”
Overall, Schaefer highlights the social components that are the platform of their business model. HLO monitors their energy consumption, works to reduce waste, and implements good labor practices. They keep a watchful eye on their vendors and only work with Global Organic Textile Standards-approved suppliers that have passed the same rigorous GOTS certification that Holy Lamb Organics has achieved.
“We make sure we can trace our raw materials back to their origin and our vendors have clean practices,” said Schaefer.
Holy Lamb Organics
holylamborganics.com
LYNN CASTLE