Left to right: Co-founders Kevin Hinton, Brad Liski and Ryan McKenzie
Port Moody, B.C.’s Tru Earth makes The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies
When a company experiences growth of 269 percent in three years, it’s going to get noticed—and today zero-waste laundry brand Tru Earth received that recognition by ranking 167th on The Globe and Mail’s second annual list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies, which acknowledges the 400 boldest businesses in the country.
“The rapid growth came from offering a zero-waste product that not only appeals to a consumer need but offers a solution to the global climate crisis,” explains CEO and co-founder Brad Liski.
The Globe and Mail’s Top Growing Companies list launched in 2019 and aims to celebrate entrepreneurial achievement in Canada, which, in light of a global pandemic, is needed more now than ever. The Globe states that, “Much of the success celebrated [by these companies] occurred before a global pandemic changed how most [of them] operate. But... many of these businesses were able to adapt, innovate and even expand despite the challenges posed by these past few months.”
Adapting and innovating has been a key part of Tru Earth’s growth. Their core values reflect a passion to protect the environment by making simple, everyday changes while also empowering consumers to choose sustainability without compromising convenience or quality.
Tru Earth’s signature product is an innovative zero-waste laundry strip that is an ultra-concentrated, hypoallergenic, liquidless detergent that looks like a thicker version of a dryer sheet. The brand also offers other eco-friendly lifestyle products, like reusable makeup pads, reusable grocery bags and wool dryer balls.
“Launching a zero-waste, compact, disruptive product into a well-entrenched consumer packaging market allowed Tru Earth to fill a gap in the system,” says Liski. “People were seeking a better way of doing laundry and we were able to fill that need. Then, utilizing 25 years of subscription experience, the co-founders (Ryan McKenzie, Kevin Hinton and I) were able to distribute the product globally at a very cost-effective rate. The entire organization was built to scale and the customer response has been exceptional.”
Tru Earth credits much of its success to investing heavily in customer acquisition as well as starting a social media movement (#truearthmovement) to encourage people to make “tru changes” in their life to benefit the environment.
But it’s more than their customers who are making a positive impact. In the past three years, Tru Earth has been responsible for eliminating more than 1.5 million plastic jugs from landfill sites and donating more than 2 million loads of laundry to those in need. And while Tru Earth is proud of their growth (building a brand from $0 to a run rate of $26 million), they are even more proud that they, with the support of their 160,000 customers, are helping to save the planet.
To find out more about Tru Earth’s ranking, check out the October issue of The Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine—available on newsstands now and online.