From a Garage in Northland to a Pioneering Global Brand

ecoman: From a Garage in Northland to a Pioneering Global Brand
Author: Malcolm Rands
RRP: $39.99
Released: 6 September 2013
Imprint: Random House NZ
Available in trade paperback & e-book

The inspirational and captivating story of how an organic gardener and social entrepreneur took the business of green global

Calling his seventh form, all-boy rock band ‘Beavershot’ might not have been one of his “light-bulb” moments but setting up ecostore was, without a doubt, a very bright idea indeed. In fact, ecostore founder and CEO Malcolm Rands is an ideas man and dreams big.

Here’s some examples how:

* He famously trucked in snow to the winterless north for a festival

* With his wife Melanie he established New Zealand’s first eco-village, embracing permaculture practice

* He remains determined to take eco-matters mainstream

* And he’s brought hundreds of thousands with him in his eco-journey, including the humanitarian Sir Ray Avery, who he appointed as his lead scientist, and a billionaire US business man who bank-rolled their entry into the US.

This multi-million dollar company began its life twenty years ago as a mail order business operating out of a dug-out basement in the Rands’ Northland home. Eco-conscious Kiwis were quick to embrace the ecostore vision and today they have a large, savvy and loyal customer following. Thousands like ecostore’s Facebook and there’s a very active blog of consumers who Malcolm believes “inform their buying decisions with ethics, values and desire for positive social and environmental change”.

Today, ecostore is a household name as a producer of environmentally-friendly and healthier cleaning and skin care products. Its masterfully-branded products are also now in thousands of stores in the US, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian countries, leading the way in a new era of chemical-free household products. The company is poised for further global expansion.

With more than 84,000 chemicals in existence worldwide for commercial use, and another 1000 being developed every year, Malcolm is more determined than ever to work toward restoring the health and well-being of people by making it easier for them to be green and healthy.

Now, this charismatic and visionary CEO shares his whole business backstory in his new memoir Ecoman: From a Garage in Northland to a Pioneering Global Brand. It’s a captivating story of humble beginnings, taking on the multinationals, bucking the trend and setting the standard of healthier living, with lots of twists and turns along the way. It’s a book for both entrepreneurs and exporters, the science community and greenies, the art community, aspiring business owners, and, of course, the hundreds of thousands of people who want to live healthier and more sustainable lives.

Joined-up thinking is the current buzz word but what does it actually mean? Here’s a man who shows us how we can truly integrate our values system with business. Others have tried with varying degrees of success. Malcolm believes that consistently applying just two key business drivers — no nasty chemicals and ethical profit — has been ecostore’s recipe for success.

Malcolm generously shares the business philosophies, commercial strategies and personal touchstones that have worked for ecostore over the years. He thoughtfully canvases all aspects of the ecostore business mix, in which consumers are central to the eco equation — from branding and sales to distribution and growth. And he describes how they’ve achieved their point of difference in the intensely competitive and crowded supermarket environment.

Malcolm is out to transform capitalism, and he’s proud of it. He’s in the business of creating sustainable wealth and plenty of it.

This sits comfortably with him because it allows him to channel funds into his not-for-profit activities.

He’s a big fan of mind maps to help bring clarity and integrity. He believes in brand management with a passion. And over and above everything else, he believes in people and the ability of an individual to make a difference. He surrounds himself with likeminded people who share the Rands’ vision.

Malcolm sees little separation between work and life, and his personal story flows through the narrative. Melanie and their daughters, Keva and Ahi, who also now work in the business, are all integral to the ecostore journey.

Finally, never one to miss an opportunity to encourage us all to keep on the right path, Malcolm wraps up his book with everyday tips to live more healthy lives and green up our homes and offices — a practical layer to a most inspiring, informative and illuminating memoir.

ends

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