Cooper Collins
University of Guelph
Ruben Burga
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Harmony by Earthwinds is a family-owned business that aspires to flourish within society by supporting cottage industries, both locally and around the world, through fair trade practices. Owner Kristel Mansilla says that not only the family but “all of our employees have been fully involved in the evaluation of the company and we are grateful to them as they continue to inspire the stores”. Every step Harmony takes is toward adapting the vision of the company to the changing business environment, to always be attractive for consumers, and to be proud of improving the future of the world.
Harmony by Earthwinds is a unique store that was first established in 1988 in downtown Guelph by a woman named Jackie Daniels. Daniels’ idea of creating an eco-friendly store began through her support for handmade products produced by small, community industries around the world. She was inspired by an organization called Mayan Hands which helped widows of the Guatemalan civil war sell products to help raise them out of poverty. Daniels connected with the Mansilla family which was selling products from Guatemala at Guelph’s farmers market and the two combined their business practices. After Daniels’ death, the Mansillas bought Harmony and combined it with their store, Earthwinds. The family continues Daniels' legacy of striving for a better world by supporting local communities.
Harmony by Earthwinds was inspired by the determination to sell products made by small, local businesses through fair trade practices that also promotes the well-being of the society and protects the environment. As Kristel Mansilla stated, “We believe we are responsible for the environment as we all depend on it, again we do want to continue to expand on our eco-friendly clothing.” Harmony’s goals of sustainability and being kind to the environment molded its business into the perfect match for its market and customers. Harmony fits in well with today’s trends and they are constantly being inspired with prevalent trends. As Kristel explains, “Yes we believe in what we are doing, we cannot operate in a way that hurts the environment as well as not produce items that people do not love.” Harmony's practices truly embody its values and morals, and this is displayed in the way it runs its whole operation.
Upon entering a Harmony by Earthwinds store, you can feel the nurturing environment that has been created; the store oozes positivity. By adopting the original "hippie" philosophy of its first owner, Jackie Daniels, the store is filled with encouraging quotes, spiritual figures, crystals, hipster clothes and hipster jewelry. Harmony has been a family owned business for over 25 years and has grown from one store to five locations across Southern Ontario.
Even though the store has kept its original hippie look, it has also adapted to their environment and to the demands of its customers. Not only has Harmony expanded by increasing the number of store locations, it continues to find ways to become more sustainable.
Harmony by Earthwinds has found that there is a market that values the sustainable way in which it runs its business. As Kristel states, “People care about the values we carry, and that is what makes us successful”. Harmony has been able to to run its business successfully for more than 25 years. However, its success can also be credited to is store locations. The original store is in Guelph, a city filled with students full of ideas and passion for an improved planet. Even though, as a society, we are becoming more and more concerned and willing to take action, cities such as Guelph are known for their high standards and belief in sustainable development which makes businesses, such as Harmony, very attractive.
Harmony sells environmentally conscious products, with the concept of providing customers an understanding of where the products are made and how they are made. Harmony aims to reduce leftover inventory and waste by customizing products for its locations. The Harmony store in Waterloo won the Readers Choice Award as an eco-friendly store which speaks to the impact the business has had on the surrounding community.
Overall, Harmony has impacted its suppliers, as well as the local community, by offering environmentally conscious products, offering employment to university students, and embodying the values and ideas that the city encapsulates.
Harmony by Earthwinds works responsibly by having a positive impact on the environment. It has reduced the amount of waste it produces by using small paper bags to package their products, reducing the amount of paper traditionally used. Harmony has increased its efforts by purchasing engraving machines and embroidery machines to personalize products for customers. In doing this, it hopes customers will keep its products longer and, therefore, produce less waste. In our interview, Kristel stated “By using the embroidery machine, we produce more on the spot designs so we have less inventory sitting around for ages, that is basically useless, thus reducing the waste that we make.” Harmony has worked very hard to make its supply chain more sustainable, for instance, by purchasing the embroidery machine and by the material is chooses for its jewelry. Harmony has reduced its purchases of costume jewelry by 90% and now tries only to purchase silver jewelry which is eventually can be melted down and reused for other products.
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Kristel Mansilla, Owner, Harmony by Earthwinds
