RESPONSIBLE SOURCING CONSIDERS OUR IMPACT ON PEOPLE
EcoBalanza believes that true sustainability extends to the web of people who supply our materials and build our furniture. All our eco-friendly sofas are hand-built in Seattle by our craftspeople in collaboration with a close-knit community of suppliers, many of whom are women-owned businesses. We work with local, family-owned farms to source our wool and cotton whenever possible. In search of the very best materials, we must sometimes reach farther afield, but when we do, we take care to build relationships only with suppliers known for fair treatment of their workers.
As part of our commitment to our community, we work actively to preserve traditional furniture-making practices and techniques. We do this because we believe in honoring crafts that have stood the test of time and want to ensure that they are not replaced by mass manufacturing.
Read an interview with our CEO and Founder, Aimee Robinson to learn more.
MEET A FEW OF OUR VALUED CREATIVE PARTNERS
We work with a wide range of suppliers. Here are a few we have worked with over the years who have helped us create EcoBalanza.
LOPEZ ISLAND FARMS
Bruce grows pastured, all-natural lamb and pork on the lush year-round meadows of Lopez Island in the Puget Sound’s San Juan Islands. His lambs grow high-quality lustrous wool which EcoBalanza buys to create felt sheeting.
AMY
For Amy, shepherding is a family affair. Her folks have raised sheep and goats for over 35 years on a farm outside Seattle. Amy's dad shears their sheep, and he taught both Amy and her brother to shear at a young age. The three of them shear thousands of sheep annually throughout the northwest, including sheep whose wool is sold to EcoBalanza.
GRETCHEN
Since 2006, Gretchen has been processing wool at Quiet Waters Farm outside Seattle. Today, Gretchen and her husband Rob broker, store and transport about 1500 lbs of wool a year for EcoBalanza from local farmers. Gretchen is particularly proud of the resilient cushion wool batting they produce using rare, heritage sheep wool from local flocks.
EcoBalanza is a member of Seattle Made whose goal is to grow and support a diverse ecosystem of urban manufacturers and producers that expand opportunities for local ownership and meaningful employment.
EcoBalanza has been verified as an in-state manufacturer by Impact Washington, a non-profit specializing in lean training and manufacturing consulting.