Onwardup

This coming weekend I'll be spending the weekend with Rob Owens of Onwardup, a retail rep company for Patagonia, Petzl, and GSI among others. Really stoked for it. Not only do I get three days of Ice climbing, all expenses paid, but its put on buy companies that are actively searching out and improving ethical standards in production. Patagonia is really changing the industry, taking legal action to ensure they put social and ethical standards ahead of economical gain. And Petzl, a brand that has chosen to continue to support the original communities it began in,  and the small amount of outsourcing it has done with great social, and environmental responsibility.
Patagonia


Petzl


Onwardup

lifestyle

We wear clothes everyday, most of us. We don't wear our high-tech gear everyday though, most of us. So its nice to see a climbing clothing company with its values in the right place, and their clothing purpose driven. Prana. Stylish. Ethical. Functional

prAna expands Fair Trade Apparel

Growing

Growing takes work.
In terms of businesses growing ethically it takes putting money into auditing, and other programs that benefit their employees. This takes time and resources, but studies have shown, that healthier, happier employees do better work, take less sick days and need to be replaced less often. So it is everyone's benefit, yes it costs a little more as a consumer, but in the long run you get better gear, and the people who made it can have a better standard of living. Here is a couple of links to how Columbia Sportswear is growing.

The HERproject

Day in the Life of a Auditor

Thanks Columbia for going out of your way to share this, the more this topic is discussed and brought to light, the more will be done about it.