Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 10

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“The cider industry is building jobs
and a stronger economy.
Businesses here in
enterprise alleviates
Washington “Private
are
very
poverty. When business is
conscious of the
environment.”
difficult,
it means that you can’t
grow, and if you can’t grow,
Colin Schilling, Co-Founder
you can’t hire people.”
Schilling Cider, Seattle/Auburn
Olowa-n’djo Tchala
Founder and CEO, Alaffia
Olympia WA & Togo West Africa
Reducing our carbon footprint, one can of cider at a time.
HOW THE SHEA NUT IS
“Because the
TRANSFORMING WOMEN’S LIVES
environment is so
Colin Schilling has a passion for cider — great tasting hard cider made
with the best apples in the world. “All of our apples come from Eastern
Washington,” says Schilling, who founded his company in 2013.
important to us,
we really believe
in the ‘leave-no-
trace’ concept.”
“Schilling Cider
is making
its cider
from
some of
of Togo,
the freshest
pressed
In small
villages
in the
nation
women
happily gather around large bowls, hand
apples out there,”
notes
Schilling
marketing
director
Nicole
Ledford.
mixing shea butter. As members of an Olympia fair-trade cooperative called Alaffia,
“We don’t have
to earn
truck a long
distances
so we’re
reducing
our carbon
they
wage
four times
higher
than others
in Togo, bringing hope and opportunity
footprint.”
to one of the poorest nations in the world.
Their efforts to preserve Washington’s pristine environment extend to
Olympia-based employees transform the raw ingredients into popular natural care
their packaging. Schilling was the first cidery in the Northwest to convert
products.
Many
the profits
back recycled
to the villages
the majority of
their ciders
from of
bottles
to more go easily
cans. where the shea butter was made,
delivering better education for children and free medical care for expectant mothers —
“Because the more
environment
is so important
we really believe in the ‘leave-no-trace’ concept,”
than 4,400
deliveries to to us, date.
says Ledford.
“Private enterprise alleviates poverty,” says Alaffia’s founder, Olowo-n’djo Tchala. “But
“Cans have a 95% recycle rate,” says Schilling. “On average, within 60 days, the recycled materials
our mission is heavily impacted by excessive regulations and taxation. When business
are back on the shelf as a new can.”
is difficult, it means that you can’t grow, and if you can’t grow, you can’t hire people.”
Now that’s something we can all drink to.
“Every human being deserves to have opportunity and a job,” says Tchala. “We’re just
touching the surface. There’s so much left to be done.”
To learn more about Schilling Cider and how
more jobs
about
Alaffia
and how out
businesses are creating jobs and improving
businesses To
are learn
creating
while
watching
lives, visit GrowHereWashington.com.
for our environment,
visit AWB.org/GrowHere.
PO Box 658, Olympia, WA 98507-0658 | 800.521.9325 | www.AWB.org
10 association of washington business
www.AWB.org | 800.521.9325
#GrowHere
#GrowHere
Post Office Box 658
Olympia, WA 98507-0658
www.AWB.org | 800.521.9325
Post Office Box 658
Olympia, WA 98507-0658