Gaia Herbs Open House

I recently attended Gaia Herbs reception at their new facility in Mills River. They are one of Western North Carolina’s newest B Corporations and they are an excellent example of the impact responsible companies make in community members’ lives.

The tour guide who showed us the new warehouse and office space described how four years ago he was living out of his car shortly before getting a job with Gaia Herbs. He’s now in management and just bought his first home. Despite being a very busy company (they get 7000+ orders a month, with hundreds of items per order), they make time to prioritize their employees’ wellbeing. Employees are part of a wellness program that includes fresh produce they can take home twice a week, discounts on all products, and two healthy meals prepared by a chef a week.

The company has big plans for the future. Five years ago they were at 100 employees. Today they have 280, with plans to add an additional 30 in the very near future. They also are working towards being a zero-waste facility by 2024.  They plan to continue impacting people in the USA and beyond through their grants and microloans programs.

We’re so lucky to have responsible businesses like Gaia Herbs as our neighbors in WNC!  It is heartwarming to see the B Corporation movement, and its impact, constantly growing.