Industry: Clothing and accessories

Headquarters: Ypsilanti, MI

Founder: Benà Burda

Founded: 1992

Markets: Nationwide

Interviewed: Benà Burda, Founder

Maggie’s has been in business since 1992 providing comfy, basic, durable clothing and accessories, making them affordable, and all the while supporting the founders’ beliefs and values in integrity, social responsibility, humility, sustainability and fun. The company began marketing organic corn tortilla chips, but when one of the farmers growing the corn added organic cotton to the crop rotation, the company needed to sell it. After doing some research about cotton growing techniques and discovering the harsh facts of conventional cotton cultivation and garment manufacturing, the firm began making garments a different way – using the farmer’s organic cotton. The firm began with a line of organic cotton socks and today sells a comprehensive line of organic cotton clothing and accessories, including baby clothing. Being the first company to utilize organic materials in non-food products, Maggie’s and founder Benà Burda are considered pioneers in the organic product industry with such large companies as Wal-Mart and Nike now selling products utilizing organic cotton.

The community involvement philosophy of Maggie’s organics is that there is no environmental sustainability without social responsibility. The firm practices social responsibility by using environmentally sustainable methods and materials in production as well as in all aspects of business, and by adhering to fair labor standards.

Maggie’s Functional Organics
306 W. Cross Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

www.organicclothes.com  

Beyond Organics: Social Aspects: http://www.organicclothes.com/social.asp