TemperPack is a $25 million-dollar company with more than 300 employees based in Richmond, Virginia. The founders, Brian Powers, Charles Vincent, and James McGoff, saw a pain point that they thought they might be able to heal. They wondered if they could kill Styrofoam and remove it from the planet? Their instincts are proving prescient and sustainable too.
Their business also illustrates why it helps to have a designated enemy or rival in business.
When you ship refrigerated goods, insulation is needed to keep products and ingredients cold. The $300 million-dollar industry made up of Styrofoam, polystyrene, and other non-recyclable packaging is facing a massive backlash from environmentalist and consumers who care about sustainability. These current options aren’t biodegradable. A proprietary technology that is biodegradable can attract a lot of capital today.
TemperPack is like a capital magnet.
Disrupt and Decompose
The four-year-old TemperPack works with meal-kit companies like Plated and HelloFresh and other innovators like Boxed. Even Albertson is working with them on a range of needs. Today more retailers are shipping directly to the consumer, so the demand for alternative packaging is needed. The backlash against unsustainable materials is slowing growth at traditional plastics manufacturers.
TemperPack started as an internship project, and the three founders used winnings from pitch competitions to get the business off the ground. With about $50K, they set off to change the world. They found their way to a natural material called Jute, a compostable plant fiber that comes from burlap sacks that get wrapped in barrier film made of recycled plastic or paper. The strong demand to eliminate as much plastic from the waste stream is feeding their growth from food and pharmaceutical companies.
What can you learn from TemperPack?
The clearer your mission is, the easier it can be to attract the right people to join your organization. Styrofoam is a natural enemy of anyone who cares about plastic waste, and it always helps to have a villain or foil that you want to defeat in business.
By keeping a clear focus on their story, they can build a mission-driven organization that people want to work for and draw partners in like magnets. Like most businesses, they’ll have plenty of hiccups along the way, but having a north star to guide you helps.
What’s world-changing mission is your business trying to achieve, and do you have a business enemy?
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com The conversation is free, and we can explore working together.
Photo by Joni Gutierrez on Unsplash
