Read the full article by Dylan Jackson, Jason Dearen, and Justin Price (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and AP News).
“Bob Shaw glared at the executives from the chemical giant 3M across the table from him. He held up a carpet sample and pointed at the logo for Scotchgard on the back.
‘That’s not a logo,’ fumed Shaw, CEO of the world’s largest carpet company, one attendee later recalled. ‘That’s a target.’
Weeks earlier, 3M Company announced it would reformulate its signature stain-resistance brand under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency because of human health and environmental concerns.
Mills like Shaw’s had been using Scotchgard in carpet production, releasing its chemical ingredients into the environment for decades. And on a massive scale: The shrewd CEO built Shaw Industries from a family firm in Dalton, Georgia, into a globally dominant carpet maker worth billions.”…