Ep. 25 Sustainable Manufacturing
Manufacturing has been problematic in the past, but it presents a lot of opportunities to make life better for workers and the community, and to be regenerative for the sake of the planet. Today’s guest is an expert on manufacturing, and how it can be better.
Joe Sprangel is this week’s guest and I really enjoyed his insight and his big heart for humanity.
Joe is the Dean of the College of Business & Professional Studies at Mary Baldwin University and the Founder & Principal Consultant of Emmanuel Strategic Sustainability.
After a nearly 30-year career in manufacturing, he had a mid-life crisis and decided to become an academic. During his doctoral studies, I was introduced to the work of Interface, a sustainable carpet manufacturer. Their founder and chairman Ray Anderson shared his "spear in the chest" epiphany about being an avowed plunderer of the world's resources that hit home hard with Joe. The topic became the focus of his academic research.
He transitioned to teaching a wide variety of business courses for three years at Ithaca College and then six years at Mary Baldwin University (MBA). He also led the development of an MBA built on the B Impact Assessment by B Corporation. For the last five years, Joe has been the College of Business & Professional Studies dean at MBU.
In January of 2020, he started Emmanuel Strategic Sustainability, a consulting company focusing on making manufacturing plants initially more sustainable to help them become regenerative operations. He has also spent the last 18 months writing a weekly thought leadership post on responsible manufacturing.
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One of my favorite things he said is
"I'm trying to show how manufacturing can leverage and lift up a community."
He spoke a lot about different parts of our society and how sustainability is about appreciating people, giving them opportunities, and making sure everyone has a chance at a dignified life.
Is Joe optimistic?
Yes, because businesses are stepping up and innovating. That makes a big difference..
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