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How to build a successful green business by Ella Heeks, Abel and Cole

Jun 2008 26
Thu 7:00 PM
Location
This location is shown only to members
Estimated attendance
 22  people attended.
4.50 4.508

Who organized?
Fergal

Event fee

GBP5.00 per person

Ella Heeks, Director, Abel & Cole
Vice Chair, The Organic Trade Board
Ethical Businesswoman of the Year 2007

Abel & Cole is the UK?s leading organic food company, with over 50,000 regular customers. Abel & Cole are pioneers of responsible business, with exemplary practices on everything from packaging and water conservation to employee representation and welfare.

Ella Heeks joined Abel & Cole in 2000, straight from Oxford University where she read PPE. When Ella joined, Abel & Cole had 20 staff, a turnover of £500,000, and was struggling to cover costs. Nonetheless, Ella saw the potential for a food business that could be truly healthy ? not just for its customers, but also for its suppliers, staff and the environment.

Ella?s first move was to get Abel & Cole?s marketing moving on a shoestring budget. Ella then gave increasing attention to the operations of the business, ensuring that it kept up with demand without compromising on quality or principles.

Ella built systems and teams over several years, culminating in her recruitment of a new management team in 2007, who now run the business day to day. This allows Ella to focus on giving Abel & Cole ethical and strategic input, and to help other ethical startups who are looking for the same kind of success that Abel & Cole enjoys.

Today, Abel & Cole employs 400 people, turnover stands at £30 million and it is recognised as a model of sustainable business. Abel & Cole?s success has attracted a string of awards, most notably:
? The Queen?s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, 2005
? Great Places To Work 2006 ? top 20 UK workplaces; top 100 in Europe
? Fast Track 100 list 2007 and Fast Track 100 Green Award
? Triodos Ethical Businesswoman of the Year 2007
? Soil Association Best Organic Home Delivery Business 2008

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Talk about this Meetup

  • David Hawdale
    Posted Jun 30, 2008 8:53 PM
    David Hawdale
    Well done Fergal, getting these great speakers!
  • Joyanta
    Posted Jun 27, 2008 9:23 AM
    Joyanta
    Best meetup I have been to, well worth going to and really learn something, I felt.
  • Pre-Meetup comments below
  • Posted Jun 2, 2008 2:38 AM
    Former Member
    This would have been a brilliant Meet Up to attend. Unfortunately we have an event on. Thanks for the invite though Fergal. Bernie

Who attended?

  • 22 attendees
    • “ Ella was great, very inspiring. Fergal is getting some bloody good speakers! ”
    • “ I always had a healthy interest in green / fair trade and environmental issues etc, however I must say I was not whole heartedly very active in these issues, certainly not in action (but may be only in thought). Through one?s lack of knowledge, I was always slightly apprehensive about whether one can really bring commerce into it green / fair trade consumerism - do people really care, and up to what point; is there a significant minority who are not only interested in the ?thought? of green / fair trade products, but also take action towards it. I felt this meeting answered a lot of my concerns. Ella Heeks, together with Abel & Cole serves as a great example what is possible ? the fact that one can succeed well in a green business, benefit all stakeholder in the business (i.e. farmers, employees of Abel & Cole and the consumers), and demonstrate it is possible to become main stream by competing frankly and fairly and economically. ”
    • “ Ella gave a brilliant talk. She was very open --shared her experience building Able and Cole. Very inspiring! ”
    • Ariana (+1 guest)
      “ Pure inspiration ”
    • “ Really interesting, engaging, inspiring and useful. Can't remember the last time I listened to someone speak uninterrupted for half an hour without my mind wandering! ”
    • “ Ella was an excellent speaker, had planned her speech in advance and made some very relevant points and gave good tips to would be entrepreneurs. She was also very honest about the some of the pitfuls that can occour in an early stage business and hightlighted some of the issues that a green business needs to consider in addition to all the normal business stuff ”
    • Shao-Lyn (+2 guests)
    • Imelda Burke (+1 guest)
    • jodie (+1 guest)
    • Sophie (+1 guest)

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