Our product catalog is now available. It contains information on our company commitment along with the many other eco-friendly products that we carry. The catalog is focused around our wholesale, restaurant, and catering customers, so make sure to stop by the store to see our retail offerings.
On January 20, 2010, Paul and Chris received a tremendous surprise at Celebrate Corvallis 2010. The night is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and numerous awards are given out for First Citizen, Business of the Year, Young First Citizen and Entrepreneur of the Year among many other community awards.
The EcNow Tech team was nominated and received the award at this gala event. We are very thankful to those who nominated us and for the committee for selecting us for the award. Our goal is to be a key part of the community for many years to come by providing innovative environmentally friendly products, an outstanding workplace and a center of knowledge for our customers.
A reporter made the following comment on the night. “– One of the nicer lines of the evening came from Chris Vitello, who won Entrepreneur of the Year with his partner, Paul Nash, for their EcNow Tech business, which makes plates and utensils that can be composted. “People ask us, what’s our exit strategy? Our answer is, ‘what’s our staying strategy?’ ” Vitello said he and Nash are committed to keeping the growing business here in the mid-valley.
http://mikemcinally.mvourtown.com/2010/01/21/notes-from-celebrate-corvallis/
From the Celebrate Corvallis Slide Show:
Entrepreneur of the Year
Chris Vitello and Paul Nash - Nominated by Anne Schuster
Chris Vitello and Paul Nash, whose careers were shaped by the do-right philosophies of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, are themselves doing well by doing right. In 2008, they founded EcNow Tech to reduce trash be making plates, cups, forks and spoons out of materials that could be composted, instead of thrown into the garbage. After less than two years, they have customers from Alaska to California to New Jersey. In Corvallis, you can see their ever expanding product line at the Earth Smart Store, which opened in July on Jackson Street in the former Avalon Cinema building. With EcNow Tech products, you can throw a party without throwing anything away.
My business partner and I spent two, 1.5 hour blocks of class time with seniors and juniors discussion bio-materials, the state of the industry and where we see it going in the future. Both classes have some pretty amazing kids who asked some very astute questions about the industry, our business and the future.
Several students challenged why the products and our closed loop composting system isn’t being made more available to the general public. We explained that we want to work with the local composting company to ensure that the products are labeled properly and easily distinguished from petroleum based products. The problem is that many of the products are not distinguishable. The end result is the composter has contaminates in the form of non-composting, petroleum based products in their compost heap which must be sorted out.
The kids challenged why it is taking so long to make the improvements which have to made to improve our environment. We explained that there is 50 years and billions of dollars invested in a petroleum based infrastructure. It will take time for products based on plants to become as cost effective as significant investments need to be made. What will speed up the transition is the inevitable rise in the price of oil as the world economy returns and demand outstrips supply. A tipping point will be reached when plant based products will not only make the sense for the environment, but will make the most economic sense.
We had outstanding discussions on the chemistry of the materials, their uses and where the future lies. It is our belief that the 80 million tons of petroleum based plastics produced each year will someday mostly be made from plants. Engineering materials will be developed and uses will extend into automotive, aerospace and beyond.
The talented juniors and seniors reminded me once more that there is a bright future for our planet. In their lifetime they will see dramatic changes for the better and they will be leading many of those important changes. Thanks to the Crescent Valley AP Environmental Science class! We enjoyed the discussion !
On Tuesday the EcNow Tech team will travel to our local high school to teach two Environmental Science classes. I love the exchange with the kids as they are very tuned into the environment and very savvy. It always amazes me how they grasp a concept and challenge it. The students have high ideals and expect more progress than can always be shown in certain environmental fields. The good news is that they understand the concept of stepping stones and that a curvy path can lead to a better place. After the class tomorrow I will log some reflections on the exchange with the students.
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