The team at Meyer Wells
If you've ever been upset to learn that a tree you loved either fell or had to be chopped down, you'll be glad to hear about Meyer Wells, the furniture company based out of Seattle. Operating under the motto "furniture with modern roots," Seth Meyer and John Wells take felled trees and turn them into custom wooden tables. So now you can see your beloved tree live on as a personal, unique, and super-sustainable pieces of furniture, with a history.
According to the New York Times, their business, started four years ago, bears all the markers that would seem to point toward collapse and extinction in a recessionary economy. It's founded on idealism and emotion. It's riddled with huge and unavoidable inefficiencies. And it tenders a high-end product that asks buyers to take risks and have faith.
Yet in the four years since their founding and the three since TreeHugger last checked in, business has boomed. Last year Meyer Wells' revenues reached $850,000 (668.000 Euros); this year they're on track to hit $1,000,000 (785.000 Euros). It goes to show that green businesses can thrive, if they're based on real values and people believe in them.
In a world in which wood furniture that's truly green is hard to find, Meyer Wells strives to be as sustainable as possible. They use bio-diesel vehicles and mostly hydroelectric and renewable power sources, and keep their business contained to the western US. "I think our idealism is meeting with the demand to make buildings greener," Wells told the Times.
Of course, all that personal care and attention make these products a bit more expensive than what you can find at Ikea. The above maple dining table will run you $7,500 (5.900 Euros). But if you're in the USA West coast and have the money and a taste for furniture with history, you won't do any better than Meyer Wells.
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