Leading innovation in simple – and smart – ways

Innovation doesn’t stop with great products that are green, natural and organic. Our plant is a hive of blue sky thinkers who are constantly finding new ways to do get the job done quicker, safer and better. Have a look:

Wool Carding Machines

We card our own wool and the process comes with a slew of safety hazards. Carding technology hasn’t changed much over the last century; to get the best results, the process is still painstakingly complicated.

When we purchased our wool carding machines, they were already old and in need of some serious safety attention. Bob looked at every possible pinch point and installed grates to drastically reduce chance of injury.

Not only did Bob make the machines safe for experienced operators and novices alike, he proved that it’s more than possible to breathe new life into old machinery – instead of buying new. “The only way someone can hurt themselves here now is if they make a choice to do reach behind a grate,” Bob says. “And that’s just stupid.”

Mattress Covers

If you’ve ever bought a Natura mattress, you know they’re heavy. And it’s not just the latex that adds bulk – the quilted wool can be more than a handful for our seamstresses. But not anymore.

Bob and Marcel installed furnace fans and a baffle under the sewing tables. The fans push air through the holey table, levitating the fabric – which makes them super easy to move around. Now, seaming the sides doesn’t mean a possible injury from yanking the fabric across the table.

I love this innovation in particular because it re-employs old equipment that was no longer in use and it shows our employees that everyone’s health and wellbeing is important.

Mattress Bus Stop

Mattresses stack up pretty fast in our shipping area on a busy week. And once packaged up, those mattresses can be health risk – if they fall over on someone. Rick came up with a plan to reduce the risk.

Our mattress bus stop is a simple innovation, but it works great.The mattresses lean against the posts and no one worries any more about being taken out by a falling mattress.

Does the company you work for encourage and reward Blue Sky thinking? Leave a comment below and let us celebrate with you?

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