How Sustainable American Manufacturing Can Flourish at Scale

The Manufacturing Executive · 8 Feb 2023 · 20m · Episode 140

What this episode covers

Sara Irvani, CEO of Okabashi Brands, explains how her family-owned domestic shoe manufacturer in Buford, Georgia, integrates sustainability into its core business model. She details the company's closed-loop manufacturing process, which recycles scrap materials into new footwear, and argues that circularity requires local production bases to be viable. Irvani also discusses the historical context of the company, tracing its roots from her grandfather's footwear empire in Iran to the US, and connects sustainable practices with long-term profitability and social responsibility.

Mentioned

Companies
Okabashi Brands, Gorilla 76, Boer Allen shoe company
Also
Wall Street Journal, University of Virginia, University of Cambridge, NCAD, 210 foundation, Souls for Souls, World Economic Forum, Carter Center

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