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Seventh Generation, Inc. is an American company selling
eco-friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that c ...
cleaning, paper, and personal care products. Established in 1988, the
Burlington, Vermont Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is the List of municipalities in Vermont, most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat, seat of Chittenden County, Vermont, Chittenden County. It is located south of the Can ...
-based company distributes products to natural food stores, supermarkets, mass merchants, and online retailers. In 2016, Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company
Unilever Unilever PLC () is a British multinational consumer packaged goods company headquartered in London, England. It was founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever B ...
acquired Seventh Generation for an estimated $700 million. Seventh Generation focuses its marketing and product development on
sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
and the conservation of natural resources. The company uses
recycled Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...
and post-consumer materials in its packaging, as well as
biodegradable Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegrada ...
, plant-based phosphate-free and chlorine-free ingredients in its products. The company attributes the name "Seventh Generation" to the " Great Law of the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...
". Per the company, the document states, "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations."


History


1988–1990

In 1988, Alan Newman acquired Renew America, a mail-order catalog that sells energy-, water- and resource-saving products. After giving the catalog a new look, an enhanced mix of products, and a new name, Seventh Generation, Newman embarked on a campaign to raise funding for the venture. The next year, entrepreneur and author of ''How to Make the World a Better Place'', Jeffrey Hollender, joined Newman and helped secure much-needed capital, and a mention in the New York Times increased orders seven-fold within a year.


1991–2000

Newman left Seventh Generation in 1992 to start Magic Hat Brewing Company. Seventh Generation went public the next year on 8 November, raising $7 million. In 1994, Seventh Generation entered the mass retail market with three products: dishwasher detergent, non-chlorine bleach, and liquid laundry detergent. And in 1995, the company's mail-order catalog business sold to Gaiam, Inc. and Seventh Generation began focusing solely on its wholesale products business.


2001–2021

Hollender stepped aside as CEO in 2009, and former PepsiCo division president Chuck Maniscalco joined the company and took over the role. John Replogle took over as president and CEO in February 2011. Joey Bergstein was named CEO in 2017 after Replogle became chairman of the Seventh Generation Social Mission Board. In September 2016, Unilever Plc. purchased Seventh Generation for an estimated $700 million. In July 2021, Alison Whritenour became Seventh Generation's first female CEO.


Awards

Seventh Generation has received multiple awards. * 2004 Corporate Stewardship Award for Small Business from the
United States Chamber of Commerce The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is a business association advocacy group and is the largest lobbying group in the United States. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging of President Will ...
Center for Corporate Citizenship. Award recipients were selected based on "a demonstration of ethical leadership and corporate stewardship, making a difference in their communities, and contributions to the advancement of important economic and social goals." * Fastest Growing Company in Vermont - 5x5x5 Award from ''Vermont Business Magazine'' and
KeyBank KeyBank is an American regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and the 27th largest bank in the United States. Organized under the publicly traded KeyCorp, KeyBank was formed from the 1994 merger of the Cleveland-based Society Corpora ...
for "achievements in keeping true to its mission to create healthy products that preserve the environment, every year since 2004." * Ceres-ACCA North American Awards for Sustainability Reporting - Best Small or Medium Enterprise Corporate Responsibility Report, April 2006 - the international competition was sponsored by Ceres (organization), a national network of investment funds, environmental organizations and other public interest groups working to advance environmental stewardship on the part of businesses, in partnership with the
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is the global professional accounting body offering the Chartered Certified Accountant qualification (CCA). Founded in 1904, It is now the fourth-largest professional accounting body ...
, and CoVeris, an independent corporate verification firm. Ceres called Seventh Generation's report "a pioneering effort in transparency for a privately owned company." * In 2007, Seventh Generation was named the second fastest growing company in
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
over the past ten years. * Fast Company Social Capitalist Award 2007 –
Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...
magazine and
Monitor Group Monitor Deloitte is the multinational strategy consulting practice of Deloitte Consulting. Monitor Deloitte specializes in providing strategy consultation services to the senior management of major organizations and governments. It helps its cl ...
. * The
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
Excellence in Environmental Sustainability Award 2008 - Seventh Generation was recognized as a customer who is "using their business management system in an innovative way to track their initiatives around becoming more environmentally sustainable." *In 2009, the IT department at Seventh Generation was named number eight in
Computerworld ''Computerworld'' (abbreviated as CW) is a computer magazine published since 1967 aimed at information technology (IT) and Business computing, business technology professionals. Original a print magazine, ''Computerworld'' published its final pr ...
's "Top Green-IT Organizations." *In 2018, Seventh Generation was recognized as one of "the 50 most sustainable companies in the world" at the SEAL Business Sustainability Awards.


References


External links

* {{Burlington, Vermont Unilever Chemical companies of the United States Cleaning products Chemical companies established in 1988 Manufacturing companies based in Vermont Benefit corporations