30th April, 2007: Environmental Interview with Dean Hearst
Hello my name is Shane Jordan I run The Sietch.
The Sietch caters to a diverse audience of ecologically minded readers. We get about 40,000 readers a month and they are always interested in learning more about companies that care about the earth. We have an ongoing series of articles called “ten questions” that seek to introduce these readers to interesting people and companies that are making a positive change in the world. I recently read about your new solar system and would love to ask you some questions about it.
Could you introduce yourself to the readers, your name, your position in the company etc?
My name is Dean Hearst. I grew up in Montana, and received my first exposure to “green” living when my parents built a passive solar house in 1980. In 1991 my wife and I spent two years living on our sailboat, which did have a small diesel engine, but 95% of our power came from the wind, and our two solar panels. It opened my eyes to how you can really live quite comfortably with use of “alternative energy”. I am currently the Vice President of Manufacturing for Bigelow Teas.
1. Could you tell me about your company? How did the company start, interesting facts about, etc?
Bigelow Tea was founded by Ruth Campbell Bigelow over 60 years ago in 1945. The company continues to be 100% family owned and managed by the Bigelow family with a special blend of pride and enthusiasm. Today the company is one of the nation’s leading producers of specialty teas, which includes more than 80 varieties of flavored, traditional, green, organic green, herbal, decaffeinated, and iced teas. One of Bigelow Tea’s most well-known products is America’s number one specialty tea flavor “Constant Comment®” which is flavored with a delicious blend of oranges and spice. It is available in both black and green tea versions.
In 2003, Bigelow Tea purchased and restored the beautiful Charleston Tea Plantation – the only tea plantation in America. Here Bigelow Tea cultivates several hundred thousand tea bushes that are descendants of bushes brought from China and India during the 1800’s. Visitors are welcome to tour the facility and observe the tea manufacturing process.
And don’t forget about our high profile advocates of Bigelow Green Tea which include sports figures Yankees manager Joe Torre and the father-son football duo Phil and Chris Simms.
2. What made Bigelow decide to go solar was it requested by your customers?
Solar power was looked at as a means to reduce the increase in power rates by United Illuminating. Bigelow formed a team to look at alternate methods of generating power and possible reductions to our current power consumption. With the help from CCEF “Connecticut Clean Energy Fund” and United Illuminating the process has been very painless and educational along the way.
3. How are you working with the state of Connecticut, to install the system?
The state of Connecticut has the CCEF “Connecticut Clean Energy Fund” for encouraging companies and homeowners to look at conservation and renewable production. We have applied for and received a grant to help pay for the solar project from CCEF. We are working with a local company “Solar Works” who is doing the engineering, installation and commissioning of the solar array.
4. How large will the solar system be?
The solar array is between 177 and 194 kW. Sizing of the system is critical to CCEF and Bigelow because while we want to produce as much as possible we need to make sure it is as cost efficient as possible. The size of the system is determined by the amount of roof space available to receive enough sunlight to produce an economical payback.
5. Has the recent prominence of global warming in the news had anything to do with your choice to go solar?
While the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” and other articles and legislation has increased awareness in global warming recently, the Bigelow Tea Company has looked into green or recyclable products for many years. We have partnered with companies that make positive environmental choices and we are pleased in taking this next step with our rooftop solar array.
6. What sort of savings can you expect from your system?
The system will generate 10% to 20% of our electrical demands. Our peak demand happens to be during the summer time so our biggest savings should also be during the summer when we are generating the most from the solar array. We will use a monitoring system that can be monitored via the Internet that shows what power has been generated by the hour or by the day. We should save around $3750 a month in electric bills.
7. Has the company made other energy efficient choices that follow in these same green footsteps?
We are looking at ways to save energy from lights that turn off after a certain period with no movement in the area; new equipment that runs more efficiently with the same amount of power as old equipment; and brighter lights that use less electricity. These are all ways we are working to improve our energy choices.
8. I notice you have started to produce organic green teas, could you tell us a little about them and why you decided to start growing them?
Bigelow’s Organic Green tea is naturally grown and processed in accordance with USDA and QAI requirements using natural fertilizer to maintain a healthy and safe growing environment and working with socially responsible farmers who also emphasize the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Our consumers have enjoyed the benefits of our green tea line over the years as they have searched for ways to lead a healthier lifestyle while enjoying a quality product. Now they can enjoy a healthy cup of organic green tea that comes from an all natural garden
Bigelow Tea works to keep the green tea category dynamic, with a tempting assortment of flavor innovations, where each and every one offer maximum enjoyment because our teas are so fresh. In addition to our newest flavors, Green Tea with Pomegranate, Green Tea with Blueberry, Green Tea Chai, and Jasmine Green Tea, we now offer a total of 12 exciting flavors in the Bigelow Green Tea lineup.
9. Are you planning any other lines of organic products?
We are always coming up with new flavors based on consumer demand….check the blog for updates.
10. I have always been told that green tea is good for your health; can you explain why green tea is good for us?
Please go to our blog, www.bigelowteablog, and our website, www.bigelowtea.com, for tea health facts. From cutting cancer’s risk to losing weight, many studies from around the world make note of the amazing benefits of green tea.
Please tell me anything else about your company, yourself, or your product that you feel was not covered under the above questions and you think would be interesting to my audience.
This year will be our 20th year hosting the Bigelow Fun Run in Southport. Over $50,000 was raised last year and donated to eight local charities. This year we are also volunteering time and effort to Habitat for Humanity.
We are working with the town of Fairfield to raise awareness of environmental issues such as global climate shifts as related to everyday lifestyle and habits, and to provide meaningful opportunities for individuals, businesses, schools and government to actively affect change.
www.bigelowtea.com
1-888-BIGELOW (1-888-244-3569)
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comments (3)
27th April, 2007: Bigelow Tea Spring Catalog is Here!
Yes, the Spring catalog is here. Tea gifts, tea chests, tea accessories, gift baskets and more.
If you want to give the gift of tea, this is where it begins!
To order tea or for more fun tea facts and information, go to the Bigelow Tea Website!
Have a great weekend!
Posted by Valorie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
25th April, 2007: 60 Minutes Notes Surge in Tea Sales
Andy Rooney’s commentary during (March 18) Sunday night’s 60 Minutes included the increasingly economically significant subject of tea. Rooney referred to a front page article from the Chicago Tribune describing the steady surge in tea sales in the heretofore “coffee-loving US”.
The Chicago Tribune article notes that the health benefits of tea are fueling its increasing sales as an alternative to coffee. US tea sales in 2005 totaled $6 billion and are estimated to rise to $10 billion by 2010. Black tea represents 87% of sales with green tea coming on strong at 12.5%. Iced tea is the favorite here in the US with 85% of all tea consumed here iced.
More information about US tea sales can be found at the Chicago Tribune here.
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
24th April, 2007: The Perfect Spot of Tea
Posted by Valorie at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
23rd April, 2007: The Best Cup of Tea
There are many things that make companies great and one of ours is our people.
The goal of Bigelow is to provide the best cup of tea possible to our consumer and that can only come when you have employees that are dedicated and caring. Our three manufacturing facilities employ over 220 employees and their average tenure is 9 years plus. Each year the company recognizes those that have been with the company 7 years or more with dinner and dancing.
While the employee morale and job enjoyment levels might not show up on all great companies it sure makes a difference to ours.
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
20th April, 2007: The Japanese Tea Ceremony
In the late 1100s and 1200s, the Samurai and later the upper classes of Japan began to enjoy their culture while drinking tea. However, the modern Japanese tea ceremony wasn’t developed until several centuries later. It was begun by Zen Buddhist monks, who were guided by the Sen-no Riku in the 1500s.
The austere and calming ceremony referred to as the “Way of Tea” began in the sixteenth century, it played an important role in feudal diplomacy and negotiations between clan leaders.
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comments (4)
18th April, 2007: Cook and Thurber audits
Each year we have an outside audit firm come to the plants and conduct a Food Safety Audit of the facility. We feel that our facilities are in great shape, but it never hurts to have someone else come in and do a reality check.
These folks will evaluate everything we do from the receiving of our materials, production of the tea bag, building conditions, maintenance of equipment, sanitation, and process controls.
Every year there seems to be one or two new items that gets identified for us to work on. Although you always want to score 100%, the reality is there is always something more you can do to improve.
A score above 90% is acceptable and we usually are between 92% and 94%.
We will keep trying for that perfect score.
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comments (9)
17th April, 2007: Drinking black tea eases Stress
Is it just an old wives’ tale that drinking tea helps us relax? At University College London, investigators conducted a double blind placebo-controlled study of this very question. They found that stress hormones and other factors related to the risk for heart attacks returned to normal more quickly after stressful situations in tea drinkers than non-tea drinkers. This effect not only helps black tea drinkers feel more relaxed, it can also help ease heart disease. For more detailed information about this study, read here and here
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
13th April, 2007: Reaching Out
Apparently there is a lot of confusion in the press still. People are asking, because we went on the radiothon, are we advertising on Imus? Obviously this is a moot point since he has been fired from CBS, but I want to clarify my thought process.
Yes we are proud sponsors of the WFAN radiothon. We are proud to support The Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center which serves families of all races, we are proud to support The Imus Cattle Ranch which services seriously ill children of all races, and we are proud to support the CJ Foundation for SIDS which researches how to prevent SIDS and educates families of all ethnicities.
The radiothon has nothing to do with advertising. It is to support wonderful causes that need everyone’s support. I find it almost impossible to believe that anyone would want those children and families to suffer because of the unfortunate and unacceptable comment made by Don Imus over a week ago. At the radiothon, he made no excuse for what he said and I am making no excuse for what he said, but I hope that all of us, no matter what our opinion on Don Imus, can try to look for some good in this sea of pain and anger.
If you disagree with me going on the radiothon, I respect your opinion but please know that the money raised over those two days go to help children and families who are innocent of this whole affair.
Cindi Bigelow
Co-President
Posted by Cindi at 11:15 am | Comments (29)
12th April, 2007: True Leadership
Just finished being on the Imus radiothon. We have been involved in this wonderful cause for 8 years. I had a lot of people tell me to not go, it was too risky-we would look bad. I even had the press jump on me for being there “I thought you said you weren’t advertising on Imus?”. What can I say, this is for children, this is for families, this for people in need. Do I now need to think that people that are upset with him would also not want him to raise the $3 million he hopefully raises in these two days to help such worthy causes? That just cannot be, no one would say that the children and families he helps should suffer over this unfortunate situation. I have to say, he was so straight forward, so honest. MSNBC had pulled the show from airing last night after 6 p.m.-so it could not be viewed on T.V. today. He clearly told people to “stop whining” about that fact, he reminded everyone that it was because of what he said that “they were all in this position”. To see someone take such responsibility, to not hide behind anything or to look for some kind of excuse or to not try and move around the blame…well that was extremely important to me. It is quite obvious, this might be his last time on CBS (or at least that is what I hear)-well I was proud to be able to support him and proud to support the families and children he has tirelessly tried to help. The terrible statement cannot be excused, but he is saying the same thing about himself! He has one mission after the radiothon is complete, and that is to apologize to those girls and their families. He stated today on air that “no matter what I say, I cannot take away their hurt”, and he is so appreciative that they will allow him the chance to say his deep felt apology.
I said on air today that I thought Coach Stringer was setting the right tone, her ability to show such grace and forgiveness should be the guiding light we all try and follow in our lives. She is a true leader in my mind.
Well the show is over and I wish that much money is raised to do much good work…
Cindi
Posted by Cindi at 6:26 pm | Comments (37)
