Entrepreneur Interview

Entrepreneur Interview

Today we are joined by author and business owner Trent A. Romer. Trent has worked hard to shift his plastic bag manufacturing company Clear View Bag Co., Inc (www.clearviewbag.com) toward a more sustainable direction through a new vision of Healthy Planet, Healthy People, Healthy Company.  His book Finding Sustainability details his journey to ultimately find sustainability in multiple places.   The company is a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, the staff participate in Earth Day events and help support the Riverkeeper organization's projects. 

Q: Being an entrepreneur isn't easy - What led to your being in the position you are now - running a company like Clear View Bag?  

I think being in the family business was always going to be my destiny. My maternal grandfather began the business in 1961 in the back of the barn where they lived.  My father joined the business and then owned it for 30 years.   My father is from a very large family ---  I have 7 aunts, 5 uncles and 32 first cousins.  A lot of family has worked here over the years.  Their dedication and loyalty made this company grow  --  we will always be grateful to them.

    

My brother and I have owned the company for the last 15 years.  The business grew from decorative packaging to custom printing and bag making over 60 years.  Today, we employee 70 people.     

My parents live in the same house in which the business was born.  Going home for holidays brings back powerful memories of our youth and the foundation of the business.   We try to hold onto the entrepreneurial spirit of my grandfather and the people skills my dad had and combine it with our new vision of using more sustainable materials and practices.   

Q: Did your parents have you work during the summer and after school?   Did you have to work each position, as a way of getting to know each aspect of the business?

Yes.  Yes and yes.  I was very grateful to always have a job throughout my youth working for my Dad.  From making samples to making deliveries to making bags, I seemed to do whatever was needed at the time.    It was a great introduction to the business that I grew to absorb and appreciate as time moved along.

Q: Plastic packaging is a hot topic these days, how has the industry evolved to become more sustainable?  

Yes.  There is a lot more options today.  We are continuously trying to find materials that are made from existing or renewable resources and have a more circular end of life.  By circular we mean recyclable or compostable to avoid the landfill or incineration. We are now stocking three more sustainable materials available for custom orders.

1. PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled content).  Material is made from post-consumer waste and is recyclable at the end of life.

2. Bio-based LDPE.  Material is made partially or entirely from plants and is recyclable at end of life. 

3. Certified compostable.  Material is made partially or entirely from renewable resources (mainly plants) and is compostable at the end of life.    

There are no perfect solutions as each faces problems either related to cost, functionality or infrastructure to support scalability. That said, each of these material types is evolving and overcoming these hurdles to hopefully become the packaging materials of choice in the near future.   

Think of a package like an orange peel.  An orange peel is a package for an orange.  If the orange peel is disposed of correctly, it will turn into compost and allow something else to grow.  Viewing all packaging in this way is the goal  --- capture it at end of life and use it to make something else.   

* Check out the Clear View blog's post: A Quick Guide to Sustainable Terms

   

Q: What other eco-friendly, energy saving steps have you taken the company into? 

We print with water based inks (not solvent based inks).  All lights have been changed to LED’s.  We just put in a few sky lights in the factory to help bring the natural light into the facility.  We have invested in multi-million dollar printing presses that use less energy and reduce waste.  

We also have a few past and present initiatives in the plant.  Our waste reduction initiative seeks to further reduce our internal waste by 25%.   Our landfill diversion initiative seeks to capture waste at the end of its life to re-purpose it or recycle it to avoid the landfill.  These are both ongoing. We have participated in local cleanup efforts –  Riverkeeper cleans up the banks of the Hudson River.

We have transformed our website, everyday communications and marketing to educate the consumer about sustainability and options to help them on their own journey.   

We still have a long way to go as we begin to look at our power sources, chemicals we use and of course we continuously seek out more sustainable material. 

Q: There are often so many areas that one could improve when it comes to running a business. How did you come to decide on which changes to take on first?  

The June 2018 cover of the National Geographic which showed a plastic bag sticking out of the ocean looking like an ice berg was a watershed moment for me.  It made me confront my own feeling about the product we made and the issues with end of life.  A problem that seemed too large to act upon became too large to ignore.  Our sustainability journey began. 

I have been very fortune to experience a lot of different things to help shape my sustainability viewpoints   I recently took part in a week long training of the Climate Reality Training Corps.  It helped me view the climate issue as a social issue whereby those least responsible for climate change are often the most affected    That realization has helped shape my views an actions not only in a more environmentally friendly way  but also one which simultaneously seeks positive social change. 

Q: What have you done to stand out, to offer something different and intriguing to customers? 

I wrote a book: Finding Sustainability - The Personal and Professional Journey of a Plastic Bag Manufacturer, which was released 6/1/21.  The book shares my travels to 3 countries and 8 states to experience a life-changing education and adventures that helped me find sustainability for our company and myself.  My hope is the book helps people find their own journey in a more sustainable direction.

Q: When it comes to promotions and marketing activities what do you consider important? 

I struggle in this area.  While we do invest in promotion materials and campaigns, I think the best form of marketing rests in the quality of the product being made, service provided along with everyday interactions.  When the product is good and the service matches the quality, this combination gives us the best chance to continue to provide jobs for our employees and provide help to our clients   My father taught me at a very young age to treat all people with respect at all times regardless of circumstance.  I have always tried to honor that over my 30 years.

Q: Time management is always a challenge for the self-employed, tell us how you go about managing time.

I try to focus on one thing at a time, and in the right time.  I have 4 bins ---  daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.   I do not look at the weekly bin except on Fridays whereby things move from the weekly to the daily.  Same with monthly----I look at it monthly and move things into weekly etc.     When new things come up, Ill put in one of those bins based on what is going on.  I have found this method for me keeps me focused without losing track of things I need to get to over time.   

Q: Where do you see the future of the company heading?

My hope is the packaging and manufacturing world of the future will be centred around sustainability.  The energy we use and the products we make have to increasingly come from existing or renewable sources and have a circular end of life.  It will take a lot of stakeholders to align to facilitate a more circular flow.  I hope to see legislation and continuous widespread education to support the circularity. 

Q: We've done some networking, you and I... tell us about the ways you've gone about networking with others in the industry.   

Get on social media even if being active on social is not a comfort. It was not an area of comfort for me initially.  Having an account on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and/or Twitter will allow the potential to connect with others through social networks.  Slowly and at my own pace, the outlets have exposed me to people and groups I would have never knew existed.   Also listening to podcasts in my industry helps provide new sources of information and connections. 

Q: Any advice for small business owners re: facing challenging situations and unexpected obstacles? 

In my book Finding Sustainability, one of the themes is how we began to try to act in a more sustainable way.  3 steps provide the framework for the book and are the three parts of the book.   I try to use this framework when I run into a challenge.  It is not perfect but seems to help me stay on track.

Step 1 Education  

Basic Understanding:  Find reports, books, and online classes.  Some basic literacy will begin to build the foundations of a long term plan. 

Experience it:   Find a conference, visit a company or vendor or better yet travel to another country to experience first-hand sustainability in action.  Experiencing it will change the internal movement from one thought of in your head to one driven by your heart.

Step 2 Feedback Loops    

Trade Shows:  Participate in one of your industry’s trade shows.  Gain first-hand feedback and insights. 

Find out How: Educational conferences targeting how to make are increasingly popular.  Taking the time to apply and attend can better organize your movement.

Internal movement:  Listen to your internal voice.  It will help guide along the way. 

Step 3  Action Cycle

Internal Authenticity  A company vision change and genuine actions will show clients and employees the authenticity of the  journey.  

Stretch to Authenticate: On-boarding internal staff through stretch goals wrapped around the movement energizes the movement.

Selling The New Vision:  Closing the loop through clear marketing helps onboard clients. Consistent messaging gives them a means to understand the movement.  

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