Jun 3 2013
Seventh Generation, a 25-year pioneer in the sustainability arena and one of the nation's leading green brands, has announced its acquisition of New York-based bobble, a leading brand in the rapidly growing reusable, self-filtering water bottle category.
bobble is a more sustainable solution to the egregious waste created by the 38 billion disposable water bottles thrown away every year in the U.S. Each washable PVC-free, BPA-free, phthalate-free, and guilt-free bobble comes with a replaceable filter that removes chlorine and impurities from traditional tap water, rendering each sip cleaner, crisper and more refreshing. Each bobble filter works at peak capacity for approximately two months, after filtering forty gallons of water. This equates to replacing 300 single-use water bottles.
Aligned missions centered on human and environmental health makes bobble a perfect addition to Seventh Generation's expanding product portfolio, and an ideal first milestone in Seventh Generation Ventures, Inc. The company's new business enterprise is engineered to continue record growth in part through greener lifestyle category extensions.
"Purchasing bobble marks the beginning of the next chapter of our story," said company CEO John Replogle. "We've established a very strong core in our home-care, baby, and health & beauty lines. Now we seek to extend our influence and spread our practices more broadly by acquiring innovative brands in the sustainability space. The acquisition of bobble fulfills that mandate and brings with it a tremendous product line that helps secure our leadership position as the company of choice for consumers interested in a healthy, sustainable lifestyle."
Unlike countless values-led businesses that have been swallowed by larger buyers, Seventh Generation remains an independent company with a core social mission as it acquires new businesses. With regard to bobble, the cultural fit is rich and Seventh Generation will preserve the brand, retain the founders and build on the legacy and values of the team. The company will also continue bobble's relationship with famed designer Karim Rashid, whose unique visual imprint can be found across the bobble line.
"Seventh Generation is our dream buyer," said bobble co-founders Stephanie Watson and Richard Smiedt, who will join the Seventh Generation team. "We're like corporate soul mates -- they understand our values, our customers and our company in a way no one else has. We would equate it more to an adoption than a buy-out. We are excited to be partners as part of a growing family with a shared passion for our brands and alignment of mission."
A corporate acquisition where everybody wins may seem like a modern-day impossibility, but Replogle says the company won't have it any other way. "We believe that business is the most powerful force for positive change in the world today. We believe our portfolio of products sets a course for a more mindful way of doing business, where companies act as partners with other stakeholders to create a brighter future for the whole planet. With a revolutionary product that solves a huge problem, bobble is clearly part of that movement."
Source: http://seventhgeneration.mwnewsroom.com