At Diamond Brand, we use the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework to look beyond just a financial bottom line in regard to sustainability. Our three bottom lines of “People, Planet, and Prosperity”, account for the well-being of our craftspeople, our business, our communities, and the Earth.
The traditional TBL framework includes “Profit” as the third bottom line. At Diamond Brand, we’ve intentionally renamed “Profit” to “Prosperity” — as in the sustainability of prosperity. This makes it more aligned with the true intentions of this framework. Over the years, the TBL has sometimes been co-opted to be an accounting tool used to tally up social and environmental impacts versus sales. A full realization of this framework requires a deeper thinking about how economic systems work (or don’t work). How do we create a form of capitalism that does more than generate monetary profits? How to we create an economy that does good things for people and the Earth?
What is the sustainability of prosperity?
We define the sustainability of prosperity by answering these questions. Overall, we understand wealth on many levels. First, it is the financial stability of individuals within a society. And it is also the ability of a government to provide infrastructure for its citizens. But the sustainability of prosperity includes the preservation of tradition and cultural legacy, and the resiliency of a business community. And finally, it represents the capability for our planet to maintain safe and healthy living conditions. Diamond Brand strives to do our part to contribute to this definition of prosperity.
Our commitment is to a responsible business model which benefits society. We do this through preservation of craftsmanship, formation of a greener economy, and creation of durable, adventure-enhancing products.
We’re focused on cultural preservation
We make 100% of our goods in our factory in Fletcher, NC. These efforts help maintain the tradition of Appalachian craftsmanship and revive the art of sewing in the North Carolina mountains. From 1990-2011, the US textile industry moved its facilities offshore, resulting in a loss of 750,000 jobs. So we show our commitment to preserving craftsmanship through our free industrial sewing program. Here, students will learn sewing terms, fabric structures and type, and how to read tech packs. Also, they’ll learn basic sewing skills and techniques for industrial straight stitch, coverstitch, and overlock machines.
We are also proud members of Carolina Textile District. This is a network of makers, designers, and entrepreneurs with a mission to revitalize the textile industry. They work toward building a reliable domestic supply chain. So being active members of Carolina Textile District is an opportunity not only to create quality products here at home, but also to generate quality jobs and strengthen local communities. Big picture, it also establishes an ethical system of production that can be modeled nationwide. It’s a model of creating sustainability for the prosperity of the community.
seeking opportunities for green economic growth
Looking towards the future, we are leading the movement to marry craftsmanship with sustainability. Diamond Brand creates green jobs that focus on eliminating waste and transforming it into new craft gear. Through our Moonrise Project, our craftspeople are deconstructing and rebuilding goods from fabric that would otherwise be waste. Our “American” Boro process includes reused fabric remnants from the factory cutting room that are stitched back together. This stitching is in the tradition of Japanese Boro which is a practice of mending garments out of necessity. In addition, in our Revival: Tent Rescue program, we take back your much-loved tents at the end of their life and turn them into something new!
As we build sustainability into our business model, we’re actively tracking our progress. So we’re looking for evidence of prosperity by collecting data and meeting regularly to celebrate success and set new goals.
We support all outdoor experiences and value adventure
Perhaps most importantly, we can all attest that living life outdoors greatly increases our sense of personal prosperity. We support and encourage all styles of adventure by all types of adventurers and believe that everyone has a right to access the outdoors in an inclusive and welcoming environment. We hope our community can come together to embrace this adventure, while gearing up for the next one.