California Closets: Commitments to Excellence and Sustainability Go Hand-in-Hand
When people think of California Closets, impeccable craftsmanship, exceptional design and high-quality materials often come to mind. Maintaining its reputation for excellence is a priority shared by everyone throughout the organization. One of the ways the company does that is by ensuring the materials used in its installations are free of flaws and defects.
Kelly Gray, Purchasing Manager
When Kelly Gray, an Arizona-based purchasing manager for California Closets, received a material shipment this past December, she immediately identified an issue. Although the structure and base of the material core was good, a large area on the surface had displeasing spotting which made it unusable for California Closets.
The supplier refunded the cost of the material but Kelly’s team was faced with the dilemma of what to do with it. Disposing of it would not only be costly, it would also be in conflict with the company’s commitment to support sustainability. After some brainstorming, Kelly’s team identified two charitable organizations that would be able to use the material: Habitat for Humanity and Stardust.
“We have been collaborating as a team to find ways to support sustainability and the community, and this accomplished both targets. The product we contributed will essentially help to ‘design better lives’ and aligns our brand with other organizations who share our values,” said Kelly.
Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. They envision a world where everyone has a decent place to live, and are dedicated to building, renovating, and repairing simple, decent, and affordable homes for families of modest means. Gifts from individuals, companies, and faith groups provide the necessary funding needed to support the mission of Habitat for Humanity.
Stardust is a non-profit organization in Arizona that believes that deconstruction and reuse policies and practices can drive economic prosperity, while avoiding unnecessary waste. Stardust operates two reuse centers for home improvement, which sell gently-used, salvaged, and surplus building materials at affordable prices. Additionally, Stardust provides deconstruction services that salvage building materials, diverts waste from landfills, and supports sustainability in the community.
Kelly’s team donated more than 300 boards to both organizations, an inventory valued at $10,000-$12,000!
