Spencer Williams, the leader behind West Paw Design, has always loved animals. No wonder he bought a small pet toy company in Livingston, Montana in 1996. But as Williams has said himself, it was about more than just manufacturing dog toys.
The team at West Paw Design recognized that sustainability and public health were soon-to-be major drivers in consumer behavior. Combining those values with an open commitment to social good proved to be a winning combination, and the company has been growing and succeeding for 20 years now.
Business Strategy Meets Social Good
Striving to make a difference, and succeeding at it, is where business lessons come in. Sustainable raw materials are a good starting point, but by getting their customers to send back used products and reuse those materials to make new toys, West Paw Design found a way to reduce their production costs and their environmental impact. That’s sustainability inside, and outside, the office.
Finally, in the spirit of their B-corp status, West Paw Design strove toward bigger goals and helped found the Pet Industry Sustainability Coalition, a network of innovators in the pet industry that are aiming to both sustain their businesses, and the healthy planet and environment that their pets need to thrive.
