The island nation of Sri Lanka has long been revered for its tea, especially in the United Kingdom. In 2010, Suranga Herath and his team capitalized on that history when they rebranded the business (which was founded in 2001), calling it English Tea Shop. Building on lessons learned from earlier in the company’s history, when it catered to low cost and mass production, English Tea Shop evolved into a premium organic brand. They did that by moving away from the traditional auction model used to buy tea for centuries. To help promote sustainable agriculture practices, the company now buys its tea directly from organic farmers.
The company is a fast-growing craft manufacturer of authentic premium sausage and food products. The company’s sausages, which are often described as “the best sausage I’ve ever had in my life,” are now sold across the U.S. and Mexico.
Essential Ingredients (Ei) was founded in May 1996 in in Augusta, GA. The company, which distributes chemicals and other supplies to the cosmetics industry, has been 100% employee-owned since 2011. With a stated purpose of “being a blessing to others and inspiring others to be a blessing as well,” Essential Ingredients is driven to remain independent and live out this purpose for decades to come.
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