Sustainable Companies Sustainable development is a concept that looks to meet “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Lawrence & Weber, 2011, p. 223). Weyerhaeuser and The Stow Company are two companies that are known for their production of sustainable products and their commitment to social responsibility. Weyerhaeuser has been in the business of making wood products for over 100 years. During this time, their commitment to the sustainability of the environment has been unwavering. Weyerhaeuser has always been concerned with the sustainability of the forests that they log and as environmental concerns have arisen and technological advances have been made, they have adapted their sustainability goals to include such things as a 10 percent reduction of waste water discharge, a 40 percent reduction of emissions, a 20 percent energy efficiency improvements in their facilities, a 10 percent reduction in solid waste, and a supplier code of ethics (Progress towards sustainability, 2011). Weyerhaeuser’s efforts to improve their social responsibility commitments has helped them to increase their net sales, revenues, and net earnings despite the housing market slump over the past 5 years (Financial results, 2011). Weyerhaeuser’s vision and mission statement is “to release the potential in trees to solve important problems for people and the planet. We do this through strong leadership, unwavering values, and a talented employee base. We invite you to enjoy our company's rich history of environmental stewardship, customer commitment, and community involvement” (Company, 2011, para. 2). Their vision statement clearly states their commitment to the environment, their employees and to society and it is reinforced by their strategic goals and their business plan. Weyerhaeuser believes it is not enough to say they are sustainable, but that they must be able to prove it through their actions and measured performance goals which are reported annually in their goals and progress report. Weyerhaeuser has a strong commitment to achieving these goals from their CEO down to their last employee and they are committed to continuous improvements of their products and business practices based on the best science available. Weyerhaeuser has long been embroiled in battles with conservation groups regarding their logging of old growth forests in the Northwest because of the threat to the spotted owl habitats and more recently the mudslides that occurred outside of Seattle in 2007 (MacDonald, 2008). Some groups argue that logging can only be green if virgin forests are preserved while others support sustainable forestry measures such as those used by Weyerhaeuser. Still others believe logging can never be green and that only alternative home building materials such as recycled lumber can constitute a green home. The Stow Company offers consumers high quality organizational solutions made of sustainable materials. Their composite panels are made from 100 percent recycle and/or recovered wood fibers and are built to last (Sustainable products, n.d.). The Stow Company is committed to continually finding new ways to reduce their waste products, energy use, and raw material consumption. Every product and decision they make is based on their social responsibility to their stakeholders including their local communities and the environment. Their commitment to building sustainable products has allowed the company to expand their business from being a laminator and fabricator of office furniture and store displays to being a major producer of closet and garage organization systems. The Stow Company’s commitment to building a quality sustainable product has helped them to expand over the years and will undoubtedly allow them to continue this expansion into the future.
The Stow Company’s vision and mission statement is as follows: “Team members of The Stow Company value the trust and confidence of our customers and fellow team members and are guided by these core values: Find the win/win. Have the best interest of end users, our company, our business partners and our community in mind in everything we do. Make a difference. Be energized by having a significant influence in our organization while playing to win. Be enthusiastic. Approach every opportunity with a can do attitude. Be a problem solver. Identify problems and find forward thinking solutions through working with others. Have integrity. Hold ourselves accountable to the commitments we make while treating others with respect” (Our Vision, n.d., para. 1).
Stow’s vision statement relates to their business through their continual desire to look for product and process improvements. This attitude is shared companywide and all employees are encouraged to share their ideas to better the company and the products they produce. Not only are Stow’s products made from recycled materials and made to last, but they are also made with earth friendly materials and tested against California air quality standards to ensure that they are not harmful to the consumer. Stow also supports community, and employee and family health and fitness by sponsoring “individual and group activities, training and contests” (Fit Family, n.d., para. 1). These examples demonstrate Stow’s commitment to the community, their employees and the environment. The Stow Company is an organization that demonstrates their vision and mission statement in everything they do. There is no evidence of any market or non-market stakeholder objections to Stow’s use of sustainable materials and I would be surprised if there were. This company was founded on the premise of producing a sustainable product and has shown a high efficiency for doing so.

References
Company. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/Company
Financial results. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/Sustainability/Performance/FinancialResults
Fit Family. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thestowcompany.com/corporate-responsibility/responsible-operations/
Lawrence, A. T. and Weber, J. (2011). Business and society: Stakeholders, ethics, public policy, thirteenth edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
MacDonald, C. (2008). Green building or just greenwashed?, Architecture week. Retrieved from http://www.forestcouncil.org/tims_picks/view.php?id=1628
Our vision. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thestowcompany.com/our-company/about-us/
Progress towards sustainability goals. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.weyerhaeuser.com/Sustainability/StrategyAndResults/GoalsAndProgress
Sustainable products. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thestowcompany.com/corporate-responsibility/sustainable-products/