Press Releases for ellie's Eco Home Store

Cobizmag.com, December 1, 2008

The Westword Denver Blogs, November 14, 2008

Elephant Magazine, November 2008

The Daily Camera - September 4, 2008

Boulder County Business Report - September 3 2008

Home & Garden TV - August 6, 2008

The Denver Post - August 5, 2008
The Colorado Daily - June 22, 2008
Boulder County Business Report - June 13, 2008
The Daily Camera - April 11, 2008
The Daily Camera - October 9, 2007

Cobizmag.com, December 1, 2008

Green one-stop shop Ellie's Eco Home Store opens in Boulder
By Rebecca Cole

December 1, 2008

Earlier this month, Steve Savage whipped out his iPhone to check how far the Dow had plunged already — 400 points and it wasn’t even noon on the East Coast.

Savage, president of Eco-Products, had reason to be worried about the economy. In two days, he planned to launch a 9,700-square-foot retail store in Boulder carrying eco-friendly home, office and building products.

Ellie’s Eco Home Store is Savage’s long-awaited dream of creating a one-stop shop for "everything eco: from laundry detergent to home-building supplies, clothes, home goods and cosmetics. (Watch video interview)

It’s about time.

After all, it was 18 years ago that Savage and his father, Kent, came up with the concept while hiking Longs Peak. The two went on to found Eco-Products, first a purveyor of green office products and now the world’s largest seller of compostable food service cups, utensils and containers. The company had $40 million in revenue this year and expects to net $100 million in 2009. Ellie’s, an offshoot of Eco-Products’ green-building business launched in 1996, completes their vision.

Savage said even with a down economy, consumers are embracing environmental products.

"I never thought that the public was ready for an environmental store such as this," Savage said. "Today there are a lot of great quality products and the public is getting more educated about them and are looking for them."

The market for green products is doubling every year, and eco products are where organics were 10 years ago, Savage said. This year at Expo West, the largest natural and organics trade show, was the first time booth space for eco products outpaced that of organic food products.

"Is the economy a concern? Sure, it’s a concern," he said. "But we also believe this is such a positive concept, that there’s not another store like it, it’s unique enough to weather through the storm."

He might be right. Forty-four percent of consumers are willing to pay extra for green gifts; 20 percent will purchase more eco-friendly products this holiday season than they did in the past, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday shopping survey released earlier this month.

But it’s a bit of a mixed bag for Savage. Deloitte’s survey also found that spending is likely to be down in home improvement purchases and that "value-oriented stores (think Wal-Mart, Costco and dollar stores) are expected to be the top shopping destination."

The Westword Denver Blogs, November 14, 2008

Elephant Journal, November 2008
 

Home Store Opens in Boulder
By Heather Mueller
Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Faced with headlines announcing another bankruptcy, more foreclosures, images of stockbrokers weeping in the fetal position while they watch the market plunge, it seems implausible that some businesses are actually doing well in this economy. The LOHAS (we’ll give you a piece of tofu if you can guess what it stands for) industry, for the most part, has remained steady, even as Americans reel in their spending. Boulder-based Eco-Products, famous for their corn-based compostable drinking cups, and now their Ellie’s Eco Home Store, is one example of a company that is actually growing, and at an exponential rate. The company’s sales revenues were just (just?) five million in 2006, while projected numbers for 2009 reach over 100 million. In August, Eco-Products earned a spot on Inc. Magazine’s “Inc. 5000,” celebrating the fastest growing companies in America.

It hasn’t always been this way. Back in the ‘90s, when most dot com start-ups were raking in billions overnight, Steve Savage and his father, Kent, slowly grew their company for almost 17 years before experiencing the skyrocketing growth of the last three. It took them five years before they hired a non-family employee. When the company began, distributing 100% recycled and sustainable paper and janitorial supplies to local businesses (recycled copy paper, for example, and non-toxic bathroom cleaners), “eco” was a hard sell, even in Boulder. Steve remembers his first sales call, at the age of 22, to a sorority at the University of Colorado. As soon as the words “recycled toilet paper” came out of his mouth, he was confronted with incredulous giggles (though he did end up making the sale, and was careful from then on to pitch the product as made with recycled fibers.)

By 2005, the company had slowly but steadily grown, expanding into building supplies (recycled plastic wood substitute, anyone? Insulation made from recycled blue jeans?) and a growing line of new plastic-like compostable to-go products made from corn and sugarcane resin. But Eco-Products’ success story really began with their decision to manufacture their own corn and sugarcane products. “We found out that to become a sustainable business, you really need to brand yourself,” Steve Savage explains. The result of that branding is the company’s own “GreenStripe” line of biodegradable plastic substitutes, now the most widely recognized and used brand in the country—from the Democratic National Convention to the ESPN X-Games and the Google HQ.

Both Kent and Steve had an inkling that sustainability would eventually become a major selling point. But they expected it to happen a lot sooner. “We always knew it was going to happen, we just didn’t think it would take 16, 17 years for people to really get a clue. We thought it was happening then,” Steve Savage remembers. 2007 is widely recognized as the tipping point for the green industry, with Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and rising fuel costs suddenly spawning a “Green is the New Black” mentality in cities across the globe. Eco-Products has undeniably benefited, but they also walk their talk, taking environmental responsibility farther than carbon offsets—their current HQ at 3640 Walnut is xeriscaped and outfitted with solar panels. Employees who bike to work receive a monthly bonus, and the company’s trucks have long run on bio-fuels. The new Eco-Products HQ and warehouse will feature the largest solar installation in Boulder (that’s sort of like the best bagel in New York, or sandiest beach in Miami).

As Eco-Products established its presence as a national manufacturer, the company wondered what to do with its retail focus. The original business plan, in 1990, had included plans for a retail store, but the company never had enough money to make it a reality. Kent Savage, who retired from the company in the late 1990s, long held on to the hope of making his products available to individual consumers. In 2007, Ellie’s Eco Home Store was born, bearing the name of Steve Savage’s daughter, who not only has a retail chain named after her, but also holds a world record in jump roping (she can do 143 rotations in one minute).

This weekend, the first Ellie’s Eco Home Store will open in Boulder. Featuring clothing (including our good friends Nau), building supplies, bodycare and beauty, furniture and a sustainable design center, the store seeks to be a one-stop resource for people looking for all things organic, non-toxic and natural. The company hopes to open 30 stores in the next three years.

Which brings us to the dilemma of any responsible growing business: the power of national chains to have a widespread affect, both positive and negative. As Ellie’s expands across the country, it will risk invading the local economy and putting mom n’ pops out of business (just as Whole Foods has been blamed for driving small health-food stores into whey protein-coated oblivion). But at the same time, a one-stop superstore peddling sustainability will bring conscious consumerism to Americans who might otherwise never set foot in a smaller, more specialized, more intimidating indie set-up. As long as there are Wal-Marts, there may as well be environmentally responsible competitors. Either way, it’s promising that Ellie’s itself has acknowledged the dilemma, and vows to seek out and sell local products wherever they go.

Ellie’s will be open to the public beginning this Saturday, November 15. Those of you not in town, or just too anxious to wait for the unveiling (three words: electric powered scooters) can browse the store’s merchandise on their website now at www.elliesecohomestore.com.
 

The Daily Camera - September 4, 2008

Boulder’s Eco-Products set to explode

Company’s rapid expansion aided by local investment firm

By Laura Snider (Contact)
Wednesday, September 4, 2008

If you go

What: Job fair for Eco-Products and Ellie’s Eco Home Store

When: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Marriott hotel, 2660 Canyon Blvd. in Boulder

Jobs: Both companies are hiring for 10 to 15 positions

For more information: www.ecoproducts.com

Having a zero-waste convention, football game, birthday party, county fair or music festival is fast becoming the status quo, making Boulder-based Eco-Products the national go-to company for supplying the green necessities: cups, plates, forks and garbage bags that dissolve in the compost.

Eco-Products is the nation’s largest supplier of biodegradable and compostable food-service items, including everything from four-cup carry trays made out of sugarcane to straws manufactured with “corn plastic.”

Wednesday, the company announced that a $2 million investment from Greenmont Capital Partners, also based in Boulder, will help it meet its skyrocketing demand.

“We plan to go from $9 million (total sales revenue) last year to over $100 million next year,” said Steve Savage, who founded Eco-Products in 1990.

Savage said he has seen his business balloon in the last three years as the green movement has swept the country. Eco-Products supplied the Democratic National Convention with food-service items, and it will help make the University of Colorado football game at Folsom Field this weekend zero waste.

“All of a sudden, it’s become the thing to do,” said Ted Ning, executive director of LOHAS, which keeps track of the “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability” industry. “If you’re not going green, what are you doing? If you know there’s a compostable cup, why wouldn’t you get a compostable cup?”

Eco-Products has grown into a company boasting 60 employees from just a handful in the early ¤’90s, and with the opening of its new store, Ellie’s Eco Home Store, the company is looking to add 20 or 30 more employees.

“This business is going to explode, I think,” Ning said. “Within this area, they’re the main players.”

The $2 million investment from Greenmont Capital Partners will help Eco-Products beef up the inventory.

“We recognize their potential to influence responsible purchasing decisions — away from plastics and towards renewable resources,” Todd Woloson, a managing director of Greenmont and the founder of Izze Beverage Co., said in a statement. “They are leading the movement.”

Boulder County Business Report - September 3 2008

Eco-Products receives $2 million

September 03, 2008

BOULDER - Eco-Products Inc. recently closed a $2 million Series A investment round, which will help the Boulder-based company expand its reach in the food industry.

Boulder-based Greenmont Capital Partners led the round of investing.

Eco-Products produces biodegradable and compostable food storage products made of corn and sugarcane. It was Greenmont's first investment for its second fund named Greenmont Capital Partners II LP.

"Since Greenmont focuses on companies in the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability market, their mission and values are well aligned with Eco-Products' goals," said Steve Savage, founder and president of Eco-Products.

The food service supply company provides products for companies such as SYSCO Corp., Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., Hilton Hotels Corp. and more.

Home & Garden TV - August 6, 2008

Shopping is natural at Ellie’s Eco Home Store of Boulder

August 6, 2008

As all things green are enjoying mainstream appeal, the timing is right for a one-stop shop in Boulder selling natural and organic products at competitive prices.

Welcome to Ellie’s Eco Home Store, where living an environmentally sustainable life becomes easier for the average consumer. Ellie’s makes natural, sustainable and healthy products for people and their homes more accessible to every-day shoppers.

Think your typical department store with lots of variety – only eco-friendly.

Ellie's offerings include apparel and accessories, linens and furniture, general merchandise, building supply, paint and finishes, solar services, educational offerings, natural children’s products, health and beauty, and a design center to help customers remodel or build with sustainable and green products.

Visit the store and check out Ellie’s amazing array of recycled and rapidly renewable products and those that conserve water and energy. Natural cork flooring, recycled cotton insulation, non-toxic paints and finishes, locally made concrete countertops, bamboo plywoods, recycled plastic furniture, wool carpeting, recycled “pop bottle” carpeting, tropical hardwood decking, composite decking, recycled rubber flooring/pavers, recycled roofing, Boulder laundry detergent, Eco-Products non-toxic cleaning products, compostable event supplies, natural pet supplies, non-toxic fertilizer and plant food, compact-fluorescent light bulbs, organic skin care products and organic linens for baby – all under one convenient roof at last.

“We especially like to source local products,” says Carly Marriott, general manager of Ellie's. “We understand the importance of supporting our community, entrepreneurship, and lessening the carbon footprint of transporting product. Our business plan is to pair Ellie’s with a natural food market to make shopping for customers even more convenient.  We took this into consideration for customers who use alternative transportation as well. Those who bike will only have to visit one shopping center for many of their needs. Ellie’s customers who drive will be lessening their carbon footprint by not driving all over town to complete their shopping.”

Ellie’s was formerly the building division of Boulder’s Eco-Products Company. Since 1990, Eco-Products has been marketing green office products, such as recycled copy paper, organic coffees, and alternative packaging material. It expanded to include building products in 1996. Growth has skyrocketed during the past two years and Eco-Products is now a $40 million company, thanks to increasing demand for items such as biodegradable, corn-based drinking cups and green laundry detergent.

Get your Zapino scooter at Ellie’s

Ellie's is now an official dealer of Zapino Electric Scooters, which are hot sellers in Boulder. Perfect for city commuting, they are economical and non-polluting, and are able to reach speeds around 30 m.p.h.

The Zapino works on a 60-volt, dry-cell battery system, has regenerative ABS disk brakes and a 3,000-watt hub motor. The scooter's list price is $3,495, and it comes in chic colors – red, lime green, sky blue, pink and black.

"To fully charge the Zapino costs about 25 cents as opposed to $70 to fill up the average car," says Marriott. "To me, that's the real selling point. You can drive 30 miles on each charge. And you can plug it into a regular home outlet. Our Founder and President Steve Savage and the Vice President of Operations for Eco-Products both commute to work on their Zapinos. Our support office has a solar-panel system on it, and the Zapinos are drawing their energy from our solar source.”

Ellie’s Commitment

Ellie’s Eco Home Store is committed to providing the community with the best green building materials and everyday healthy home and personal items available. “We believe there are better and affordable alternative ways to build, renovate, and live a healthy lifestyle,” Marriott says. “Ellie’s affordable alternatives help us leave a softer footprint on our planet as we make our homes beautiful and healthy.”

Ellie’s Eco Home Store seeks manufacturers and products that use natural and/or organic inputs, practice energy conservation, are rapidly renewable, use recycled content, do not emit toxins or other unhealthy byproducts, practice sustainability in the sourcing of their inputs, reduce pollution or waste from operations, are conscious about the environmental impacts of their packaging, manufacturing, and distribution, and help reduce overall environmental impacts.

Visit Ellie’s

Ellie’s Eco Home Store is temporarily housed at Eco-Products’ location at 3640 Walnut Street, Boulder. It plans to move to 2525 Arapahoe, next to Sunflower Market, in September. Check Ellie’s new Web site: www.elliesecohomestore.com. Hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

“Ellie’s Eco Home Store is committed to making a positive impact on the global community by offering a wide selection of high quality, environmentally friendly products for the home at competitive prices in a convenient and inviting one-stop shop.”

The Denver Post August 5, 2008

CU to make home games at Folsom Field zero-waste

By Brittany Anas
August 5, 2008

Brendan Reilly, a University of Colorado work-study student sorts recyclable materials at the campus Intermediate Processing Facility on Tuesday. CU officials announced Tuesday the launch of "Ralphie's Green Stampede", a program to make home football games at Folsom Field "zero waste".

CU’s green roots

1970 — The nation’s first student-led environmental center is born on Earth Day on the Boulder campus.

1976 — The nation’s first collegiate student-led recycling program begins.

1992 — A recycling processing hub is built on the campus .

1997 — CU “Green Teams” begin targeting University Hill and other student-populated areas to increase recycling.

2000 — Students vote to purchase renewable wind-energy credits to match power used in all future major campus construction projects, making CU the first university in the country to purchase wind energy.

2001 — Automated cardboard recycling begins in residence halls.

2006 — The ATLAS technology hub is the first of four campus buildings built or renovated to meet stringent green codes spelled out by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

2007 — Recycling on the campus exceeds 4 million pounds.

2008 — The student-government requires all student-funded events with food to be zero-waste.

2008 — CU Dining Services eliminates all plastic bags from its grab-and-go meal programs, and gives free reusable bags to all incoming students living in the dorms.

2008 — The CU Athletic Department commits to zero-waste from football games.

Source: University of Colorado

The University of Colorado is pledging to become "zero waste" at Folsom Field this football season -- an environmental program that will mean no more trash cans in the stadium, valet parking for fans who arrive on bikes and compostable nacho trays.

CU officials made the announcement Tuesday, and the Buffs will become the first major collegiate or professional sports program in the nation to tackle a zero-waste challenge, said CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn.

About 60 tons of game-day garbage was sent to landfills last football season, amounting to an average of 10 tons of trash fromeach home event.

This season, environmental czars expect to recycle or compost 90 percent of the waste from home football games.

Student volunteers will staff the 50-some recycling stations throughout the stadium, helping football fans toss their trash into the right bins. CU's Reserve Officers' Training Corps units will help with cleaning up after games.

Finished compost will be returned to CU for campus landscaping.

Nearly all the food and drinks sold in Folsom will be packaged in recyclable or compostable containers, according to the school. CU will contract with Boulder-based Eco-Products Inc., which makes biodegradable products, such as sugarcane plates and corn cutlery, that will compost -- unlike petroleum-based that depend on oil.

Since there will be no trash cans, non-recyclable garbage -- most of which will have been brought in by fans -- will be plucked out of the recycle bins after the game.

CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard quipped that security officers won't be patting down fans for cardboard, or banning non-recyclable items like candy wrappers from coming into the stadium.

White Wave Foods is the primary sponsor of the program, which has been dubbed "Ralphie's Green Stampede" with the stadium in turn advertising the Boulder-based organic-food company.

The university has not conducted a formal cost analysis of the program, Hilliard said. The school expects the launch will be low cost, and the newly stepped-up green measures won't cost more to conduct than current clean-up practices.

"With this measure, CU Athletics is taking a bold step, in sync with its student, faculty and campus leadership, toward keeping CU at the vanguard of sustainability leaders, where it has been for nearly 40 years," said Dave Newport, director of the CU's Environmental Center.

The nation's first student-led environmental center was born atCU on Earth Day in 1970. In 2000, CU students voted to purchase renewable wind-energy credits to match power used in all major campus construction projects, also a first for college campuses.

The student-union this year also began requiring all student-funded events that include food to be zero waste.

CU is supporting Gov. Bill Ritter's climate action plan that targets a 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction by 2050. CU officials say the athletic department's new pledge is another step toward carbon neutrality on the campus.

The zero-waste and recycling efforts in Folsom could save as much as 455 million BTUs of energy -- equivalent to the total annual energy use of four U.S. households, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

CU's athletic department also will invest in local carbon-reduction projects to match energy used to power the stadium and for the football team's travel.

In an effort to encourage fans to ride their bikes to games, there will be valet bike parking at the nearby Franklin Field.

Victoria Garcia, a CU student body president, said she hopes that the campus' program becomes a model for other schools nationwide to follow.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or

 anasb@dailycamera.com

The Colorado Daily June 22, 2008

GO GREEN: Eco-friendly entertaining

WONDERING HOW TO PARTY AND STILL RESPECT THE PLANET? NATURALLY BOULDER AND LOCAL VENDORS HAVE YOU COVERED

By DEBRA GOLDYN Your Town Correspondent
June 22, 2008

Ellie’s Eco Home Store

www.elliesecohomestore.com

Eco-Products, Inc.

www.ecoproducts.com

Naturally Boulder

www.naturallyboulderproducts.com

STEVE'S BEER MILKSHAKE

In a previous life, Steve Kurowski worked for a brewery. He recommends this recipe for your next shindig.

4 scoops premium vanilla ice cream

6 ounces stout beer

Combine ingredients in a blender; blend until a milkshake consistency is achieved. For an ice-cream float, simply scoop the ice cream into a glass and add the beer.

"T his is to die for." Carly Marriott took another bite of Coconut Crunch ice cream and reconsidered. "No, this is to live for."

The occasion was the fourth annual Spring Fling, a networking event sponsored by Naturally Boulder. Marriott was among dozens of natural and organic product entrepreneurs who came together May 22 to sample products, trade business cards and gain inspiration.

Naturally Boulder is a task force of the Economic Vitality Advisory Board and works to promote the growth of the city's natural products industry. According to founder Linnea Simons, natural products and Boulder are a perfect fit.

"Obviously it's critical just for the sustainability of our planet and the health of the people on the planet to eat well," Simons says, "and to eat foods that aren't contaminated with pesticides and so forth."

Natural and organic products are big business, with annual revenues upwards of $60 billion, according to the Natural Foods Merchandiser. A few of the products generating buzz at this year's Spring Fling event include Eco-Products' compostable line, Boulder Ice Cream's new organic flavors, and organic alcohol from a variety of vendors. As we head into prime picnic and party season, these are the businesses to watch:

ECO-PRODUCTS

Spring Fling was a zero-waste event, thanks to Eco-Cycle and compostable plates, cutlery and glasses from Eco-Products, Inc. Eco-Products provided plates made from sugarcane, and cutlery and glasses made from corn. The items are all designed to be completely biodegradable when composted.

"We make disposable food-service products out of plants, not oil," says marketing director Steve Kurowski. "Our mission is to change the $30 billion disposable food-service industry by making things out of renewable resources and taking these things out of the landfill and bringing them back to compost facilities, which can turn them back into organic matter."

The company sells to all 50 states and Canada, with a client list that includes Hilton Hotels, ESPN's X Games, and the Rothbury and Bonnaroo music festivals.

"A lot of those big outdoor multi-day festivals are using products like this and taking the initiative because they do generate so much trash. They're doing what they can to divert what they can from the landfills."

Eco-Products is also launching Ellie's Natural Home Store at The Village shopping center this fall. Ellie's, located next door to Sunflower Market, will cater to eco-conscious homeowners and gardeners with a broad range of merchandise. According to Marriott, the store's manager, Ellie's will have "everything healthy for your home at low prices."

BOULDER ICE CREAM

On Earth Day in April, Boulder Ice Cream announced that three of its all-natural flavors - Ginger Cream, Green Tea and Vanilla - are now certified organic, and it launched four new organic flavors: Coconut Crunch, Raspberry White Chocolate, Italian Espresso and Chocolate Hazelnut.

The company, which churns each batch individually, now has seven all-natural flavors and seven organic varieties of ice cream. The company also features sorbet, gelato and frozen yogurt, and is known for being environmentally friendly. It offsets 100 percent of its electricity usage with wind power, and sources ingredients locally where possible.

The milk, cream and eggs are all from Colorado suppliers, which is an added bonus now that gasoline is hovering around $4 a gallon. Glennise Humphrey, co-owner and vice president of marketing and sales, has noticed the impact of higher fuel costs.

"The ingredients that we do have to bring in from outside sources, we definitely see a hit on that," Humphrey says. "And that's a challenge. Again, a reason to always try to align with local suppliers, not only from the fuel cost but from the green perspective of using less fossil fuels to truck stuff in."

ORGANIC BEER, WINE AND SPIRITS

Organic alcohol is gaining in popularity as consumers pay more attention to all aspects of their diets. According to the National Restaurant Association, a 2007 survey of American Culinary Federation chefs revealed that organic produce, organic wine and specialty beers all made the top 20 list of "hot" items in terms of consumer appeal.

Organic Vintners imports organic wines from a number of countries, and sells them over the Internet or through local distributors, such as West End Wine Shop. Vodka 14, produced by Boulder-based Altitude Spirits, is USDA-certified organic and has garnered silver medals for the past two years at the San Francisco Spirits World Competition .

Redfish Fish House & Brewery joined the fray a few years back with its TreeHugger Organic IPA.

"I'm surprised that we're the only people in Boulder doing an organic beer, as far as I know, and we've been doing it for 3 years," says owner Steve Shenk. "It's our most popular beer now. I think it's because people can't get anything like it anywhere else. And it's a great beer, it's not just because it's organic, too."

Boulder County Business Report - June 13, 2008

Zapino scooters come to Boulder

June 13, 2008

BOULDER - Ellie's Organic Home Center at 3640 Walnut St. in Boulder is now an official dealer of  Zapino Electric Scooters.

The Zapino works on a 60-volt, dry-cell battery system, has regenerative ABS disk brakes and a 3,000-watt hub motor. The scooter's list price is $3,495 and comes in five colors: black, red, lime green, sky blue and pink.

"To fully charge the Zap costs about 25 cents opposed to $70 to fill up the average car," said Carly Marriott, general manager for Ellie's. "To me, that's the real selling point. I know everyone is worried about gas prices today. With a Zap, you can keep your gas card at home."

Ellie's Organic Home Center is a division of Boulder-based Eco-Products Inc. and has been a center of green building supplies since 1996. Ellie's has signed a lease for 9,700 square feet at the Village Shopping Center in Boulder and will be in its new location next to the Sunflower Market in September.

The Daily Camera - April 11, 2008

Eco-Products signs retail lease for organic products store

Ellie's Organic Home Center to be next to Sunflower

By Alicia Wallace
Friday, April 11, 2008

Part of Boulder's Village Shopping Center now boasts a canary-yellow tinge with the soon-to-be-opened Sunflower Farmers Market.

Come September, the center could add a little more "green."

Eco-Products Inc., a local company known for items such as compostable cups and flatware, plans to base its first Ellie's Organic Home Center -- something Eco-Products' owner calls an "environmental Target" -- next door to Sunflower.

"It's a complement to a Whole Foods or a Sunflower Market," said Steve Savage, owner of Eco-Products. "It's everything for your home that is not food."

The tentatively named Ellie's Organic Home Center was spun off from the 18-year-old Eco-Products last fall. The decision, which keeps Ellie's as wholly owned by Eco-Products, was made to give Eco-Products more of a focus on its environmental food service wholesale business and also to create a visible retail outlet for other aspects of the business -- such as its sustainable design center; patio and garden; and general merchandise offerings, Savage said.

The 9,000-square-foot spot to the south of Sunflower will allow Ellie's to add other departments, he added, noting the store's new departments will include a conservation center; apparel and linens; organic wine and beer; and an education center.

The intention, Savage said, is to provide a one-stop shop of healthy, sustainable and environmentally products -- from Yolo low- and zero-VOC paints and Java-Log coffee firelogs to Tushies gel-free diapers and Pet Promise dog foods.

The store also will carry a variety of local companies' products such as Twist, Pangea Organics and, of course, some of Eco-Products' cups, plates, bowls and other items, he said.

With Ellie's just a stone's throw away from Boulder business mainstay McGuckin Hardware, there might be some overlap in paint and some general merchandise items, "but that's about it," Savage said.

Dave Hight, a co-owner of McGuckin, was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.

If the first Ellie's is a success, the plan is to open about 30 stores nationwide in the next three years, Savage said, adding they would be strategically placed near a natural foods grocer such as a Whole Foods or a Sunflower.

Mike Gilliland, founder and chief executive officer of the Boulder-based Sunflower, said he viewed a neighboring Ellie's as complementary to his new store that's set to open to the public Tuesday.

"It's nice to have a little natural lifestyle epicenter," he said. "I think we'll play off each other well."

Eco-Products expects to apply for building permits with the city of Boulder around May, begin construction on the interior a few weeks later and open the store by September, Savage said.

Contact Camera Business Writer Alicia Wallace at 303-473-1332 or

wallacea@dailycamera.com.

The Daily Camera - October 9, 2007

Eco-Products launches retail store

Environmentally friendly company creates Ellie's Organic Home Center

By Alicia Wallace
Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Boulder-based Eco-Products is spinning off part of its company into a retail store — which will provide eco-friendly products including apparel, building supplies and organic wine — that the firm hopes to eventually replicate nationally.

The store, Ellie's Organic Home Center, will allow Eco-Products to focus on the wholesale and manufacturing of environmentally friendly food service products, but allow a more-visible outlet for other aspects of its business, owner Steve Savage said Monday.

The idea is for Ellie's to have a number of departments: apparel, general merchandise, building supply, paint and finishes, solar services, educational offerings such as how-to videos, organic wine and liquor, appliances, and health and beauty.

"So it's taking what a lot of people do and putting it in one space," Savage said.

As all things natural and organic continue to experience growth and wider mainstream appeal, the timing is fitting for having a store that essentially would be the marriage of a natural Home Depot and a natural Bed, Bath and Beyond, said Steve Hoffman, president of Compass Natural Marketing, a Boulder-based firm that provides services to natural products companies.

"I think people are realizing that it's not just what you put in your body, but what you put your body in," Hoffman said.

And the numbers show it: In 2006, natural personal care, books, housewares and other items topped $3.5 billion in sales, an increase of 17.2 percent as compared to the previous year, according to Boulder's The Natural Foods Merchandiser.

Eco-Products, founded in 1990, has experienced skyrocketing growth during the past two years, thanks to increasing demand for items such as biodegradable, corn-based cups to "green" laundry detergent. The business that saw sales growth in the range of 5 percent to 10 percent during its first 14 years is now facing year-over-year increases in the range of 60 percent to 80 percent.

Initially, Ellie's will be housed out of Eco-Products' location at 3640 Walnut St., but Savage said he has been shopping around for a separate retail space. A logical locale would be near a Whole Foods Market-type of store.

Eco-Products did consider the Twenty Ninth Street space that was to be home to Wild Oats Markets' flagship location, but the 40,000-square-foot space was "way too big," Savage said. The ideal size for an Ellie's store would be in the 10,000- to 15,000-square-foot range.

Six of Eco-Products' 48 employees work at Ellie's, a division that should grow to 20 to 30 people in the next few months, Savage said.

Contact Camera Business Writer Alicia Wallace at 303-473-1332 or

wallacea@dailycamera.com.