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| frequently asked questions |
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what would a shoe that you have made for yourself look like?
it would consist of a sole for down-to-earth walking, an upper material for good grip and laces for tying myself to the belief that together we can make the world a better place – everyone in his or her own way.
do you enjoy walking barefoot? yes. but also without socks in our “smartwool“ shoes.
which natural spectacle fascinates you anew each day?
sunrise … every day. |
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| step by step |
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| “what kind of footprint will you leave?” that’s the question the american company timberland not only asks in relation to the footprint of their shoes. this kind of “seeking traces” is the basis of the entire company philosophy and directly addresses the brand’s customers. |
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it all began with the legendary “yellow boot” in 1952, the first water-proof all-weather shoe that has kept its cult status until today. since then, the timberland brand has become one of the most renowned outdoor specialists with the ultimate goal of not only making nature more comfortable for the people who wear their shoes, but also bringing it closer to them. in line with this goal, the company has been actively involved in social and ecological projects for many years. ton van lier, general manager for central europe, scandinavia and great britain, has found the company’s promising answer to many basic questions – “make it better“.
dear ton van lier, social and environmental commitment today plays an important role in timberland’s company philosophy. for how long has the company been actively implementing its ideas in this field?
these kind of issues have been major pillars of our traditional company for more than 15 years. in accordance with our motto “make it better“, we spend a lot of time thinking about what goes on in the world outside of our company walls and are always keen on initiating positive changes.
where does the impetus for your social and environmental ideas come from? is there a kind of “think tank“ within your company that deals with developing and implementing these ideas and finding a new way of ecological thinking?
there is a team for central europe that deals with social and environmental matters which organises on-site inspections and preparatory talks. this team also comes up with suggestions for days of action and discusses the respective concepts with me. i select those actions that go best with our philosophy. there is also a worldwide team of 24 timberland members that we call “global stewards”. they function as representatives of our philosophy, they develop basic concepts and implement them in various countries. jeff schwartz, grandson of the company founder and today’s charismatic ceo, spends almost 40 % of his time with initiating such projects and motivating other companies to do the same. at the same time, i try to convince my employees to think in line with our comprehensive business model of “commerce & justice”.
what does “commerce & justice“ actually mean?
it’s our mission to fit out people who want to make the world a better place and initiate positive changes. we are convinced that good sales volumes (commerce) are inextricably linked to our responsibility towards our environment and society (justice). we want everyone in the whole world who comes into contact with timberland products – be it consumers, business partners or employees - to become more involved in order to increase this influence on society.
each year your employees get the chance to take 40 hours of paid leave to take part in one of your actions themselves. what successes is the company especially proud of today?
we are proud to make people happy with our commitment, to change circumstances for the better or to make a small contribution for our environment by participating in tree planting projects. however, this doesn’t mean that we have reached our goal yet. in the past nine years we have added 430.000 hours of worldwide services to our “path of service“ programme.
can needy organisations or associations contact you directly?
we try to avoid uncontrolled activism. just as there is quality management for the production of our shoes, there is also a department in our company that is responsible for planning our involvement and cooperation with other partners and for allocating our available goods. most of the time, we work together with partners who we have known a long time.
do you think that your “make-it-better”-mentality also inspires other international companies?
we organize at least three days of action each spring (“earth day”) and autumn (“serv-a-palooza”). we invite many of our customers and business partners to participate in these actions. some of them have already shown interest in organising days of action with timberland and invite their employees. and we’re talking about renowned, big companies here.
the textile industry has been harshly criticised for various negative aspects such as child labour, the use of harmful chemical substances and their handling of natural resources. what role does “fair trade” play in your company?
in line with our code of behaviour, we only work with suppliers who comply with the respective legal regulations. this code was developed on the basis of the “global human rights standards” of the united nations and states that timberland products may only be produced at places of employment that are fair, safe and not discriminating. we have a team that - together with local organisations - takes care of the various production sites on an international basis regarding occupational safety, health matters, working hours, wages and minimum age of the employees. we guide the companies through this structuring and regularly check their compliance.
what’s the difference between your actions and simple marketing measures that primarily contribute to tending the company’s good reputation?
our social and ecological activities don’t take place for marketing reasons or because it’s trendy to deal with the topic of “csr - corporate social responsibility”. our actions are not just a flash in the pan to get media coverage, it’s more of a continuous cooperation with non-profit organizations who we have often known for many years. we like to invite journalists and business partners to join in our endeavours. of course we appreciate it if they report on them as well – but not so that we can then once again read our name in the papers, but because it also attracts the attention of others.
as an outdoor expert, timberland’s company philosophy enjoys a certain kind of authenticity. do you think that an outdoor brand is able to create more credibility regarding environmental protection and ethical commitment?
i think that a company’s credibility regarding environmental protection is not connected to the use of its products but only to its actions. it’s only natural that manufacturers of products for the outdoor-oriented lifestyle tend to get involved with environmental issues, because their products are used right out there. but would you say that people like karl-heinz böhm (initiator of the aid organization “people for people”) or bono (nb: politically engaged singer of rock band u2) are less credible just because their names don’t stand for outdoor products? i would say that it is what you do that counts.
in global politics, the topic of environmental protection plays an important role and has also become a debated issue in the us election campaigns. do you think that environmental protection might loose its significance because it is gradually becoming a trend?
of course there’s always the risk that something like this might happen. however, this shouldn’t keep us from sharing our ideas for environmental protection. we know that we can’t change the world on our own. alone we’re just a single drop, but together we can make an ocean – that also applies to our ecological commitment.
what kind of answer do you expect from your customers when you ask them the question “what kind of footprint will you leave”?
i think we have gained a lot if we inspire our customers to start thinking, if we motivate them to ask questions and consider a new way of thought.
and what is your personal answer to this question?
i would be happy if people one day say about me that i contributed a small step towards the idea of “make it better”. |
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| isabel baier |
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