How Sustainability and Profitability Go Hand in Hand
By Josh Allen
As April marks Earth Month, there’s no better time to rethink how businesses approach sustainability, not as a cost, but as a catalyst for growth. With mounting pressure from consumers, employees, and investors to operate responsibly, companies can no longer afford to treat sustainability as an afterthought.
But what if doing right by the planet also meant driving profitability?
At Companion, a company I founded in 1993 at the age of 24, we’ve proven that small, intentional shifts can lead to lasting change, reducing waste, strengthening our bottom line, and deepening our impact. Now, we’re sharing our journey to show that sustainability isn’t just possible in manufacturing. It’s essential for long-term success.
In 2015, I faced a pivotal moment in our bakery’s journey. Scaling up manufacturing and moving into a much larger facility seemed like a step forward, but it came with unintended consequences. We started generating excessive waste, bleeding cash, and losing touch with our core values. That turning point laid the foundation for a transformation, one I outlined in my 2021 TEDxStLouis talk. Today, we’re a business where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand.
When scaling became overwhelming, we looked for answers in an unlikely place: the trash. We reexamined every part of our operation, including equipment, processes, and daily habits. We made waste reduction a priority. Small shifts led to big results.
One impactful change was adding a supervisor sign-off at the end of every dough mix. We’d always tracked temperature and time, but this extra step dramatically improved consistency. That led to fewer fermentation bottlenecks, less off-spec product, and ultimately, far less waste. Another breakthrough came from one of our bakers. Our doughs require a lot of flour dusting during production, and the excess was being dumped from catch trays all day. His simple idea? Sift and reuse it. That one insight now saves nearly 200 pounds of flour every day—over 50,000 pounds a year. This new mindset not only empowered our teams and reduced waste. It also restored cash flow, boosted profitability, and reignited our team’s pride and passion.
Now that we’ve turned things around, we’re focused outward, on making a meaningful impact in our community and the world. This year, we joined 1% for the Planet, committing to donate one percent of our top-line revenue to certified environmental partners. Much of that support stays local, benefiting organizations like the St. Louis Area Foodbank, Great Rivers Greenway, and Earthday 365. But our efforts don’t stop there. Through a partnership with ADM, a major American multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation, we’re supporting regenerative agriculture in the Midwest, a practice that restores soil health, sequesters carbon, and promotes biodiversity.
Our Giving Loaf Initiative also empowers our bakers to direct some of our giving to causes they care about. For example, one of our long-time supervisors—a Nepalese refugee—helped us direct a donation to the Tibet Relief Fund, a British-based organization that helps other refugees build sustainable communities and brighter futures.
To me, sustainability isn’t just about what Companion can achieve. It’s about setting an example for other businesses. By showcasing real results and bold commitments, I hope to spark a broader conversation among purpose-driven manufacturers about the role we can play in solving environmental and social challenges.
Our journey shows that sustainability isn’t a trade-off for profitability. It’s a pathway to it. By embedding environmental and social responsibility into our operations, we’ve strengthened team culture, deepened customer relationships, and positioned ourselves as leaders in the movement for a better world.
Looking ahead, I’m focused on helping more companies embrace sustainability. I believe the lessons we’ve learned at Companion can serve as a blueprint for businesses of all sizes. From waste reduction to community engagement, the key is to start small and stay committed. Together, we can build a future where businesses thrive, communities flourish, and the planet heals.
Watch Josh Allen's TEDx Talk here, performed in December 2021 at the Ferrara Theater at America's Center.
The Speaker Spotlight Series celebrates past TEDx speakers from the St. Louis area, highlighting their latest projects, ideas, and sources of inspiration. Join us at our next live event! Follow us on social media, join our email list, and discover how you can get involved at tedxsaintlouis.org.