Todd Wickstrom
More people are becoming concerned about environmental and Third World economic issues. Increasingly, these individuals seek to pursue sustainable lifestyles. As a result, more businesses are following suit to respond to this growing trend that is influencing consumer demands. Todd Wickstrom, chief operating officer of Milwaukee-based Rishi Tea, says his company is committed to organic and fair trade practices around the world.
“Sustainability is a word that is becoming more and more a part of the corporate vernacular. It is usually used with respect to a company’s commitment to the earth and its willingness to make changes in the way it sources or uses certain materials in the course of doing business.
“Sustainability isn’t only about caring for the physical environment around us, it is also a commitment to the people with whom we interact every day and ensuring that we can continue to build those relationships far into the future.
“We earn the right to do business daily in a global marketplace and as a result we are deeply respectful of the traditions and cultures that are embraced and celebrated in the villages and countries where we source our teas.
“We are equally mindful of our internal culture and work actively to ensure that Rishi Tea remains a great place to work. We are in the midst of some pretty rapid growth as a company and none of it is possible without the great team that shows up to give their best every single day.
“For us, sustainability is absolutely about being good stewards of our earthly resources but it is also about sustained profitability and being culturally mindful of those people and places that we interact with everyday.”
