12-6-05 Some Surfbiz Commentary

Clark Foam is goin' down. One of the surf industry's most recognizable names has announced that, effective immidatly, they are no longer manufacturing surfboard blanks.

Very interesting. Buy up your boards now, boys and girls. The market for surfboards is about to get interesting.

But, before we get too excited, let's still one suspicion right away. Surftec had nothing to do with it. Surftec's market share is just not that big. Nobody is. All non Clark Foam manufacturing combined only holds a 20% market share. Clark makes 80% of the world's surfboard blanks.

Nope. It's not forign competition and glabalization. It's environmentalism. Clark Foam is loosing to the EPA. Here's a line from that other article:

"He said the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Orange County Fire Authority were concerned with Clark Foam's use of a toxic chemical, toluene di-isocynate, commonly called TDI. Clark said other concerns included the use of polyester resin, dust, trash and equipment that was built to Clark's specifications."

Not too surprising, really. Surfboards have always enjoyed an odd irony - designed to enjoy the beautiful, natural, pristine environment, but made from chemical stuffs and processes that are not kind to that same environment.

In predictable businessman speak, Mr. Clark belts out the line "They [Orange County and the EPA] have made it very clear they no longer want manufacturers like Clark Foam in their area."

This is true, of course, but not in the demonizing way that he probably said it. Laguna Niguel is a nice town in a beautiful coastal area. The people there value the quality of their environment, and not just because it reflects well on the value of their houses, but they actually like it. They want business. They want economic activity. They want jobs. they want commerce. But they are completely unwilling to accept any compromise in the quality of their environment. Why should they. If clean, progressive, environmentally sensitive manufacturers and businesses are an available substitute (which they very much are), why should they want dirty ones?

Now, I'm sure that Clark Foam has spent the last 30 year comply, comply, complying to environmental regulations. But, imagine this: What if Clark Foam had, 30 years ago, decided to make environmental progress one of their top priority business goals. What if they had consistently devoted resources to creating a zero-environmental impact blank manufacturing process, investigated alternative materials, targeted phase outs of the most dangerous and hazardous parts of the procedure, worked to eliminate all waste and effluent from their processes so leaving water and air from their plant is cleaner than when it comes in.

What if they'd made that commitment even twenty years, or ten years ago? What if they made that commitment five years ago? What if they make that commitment right now?

To many businessmen, the Double Bottom Line (environmental + financial) or Triple Bottom Line (environmental + social + financial) concepts haven't sunk in. But, California is starting to be the proving ground. In Laguna, and Newport, and Huntington, more businessmen would be wise to jump full throttle into sustainable and environmental business practices, because if you only pay attention to the one bottom line, that second one will creep up and get you.

Sorry about that, Clark Foam. I hope your replacement gets on board with the new program. Personally, I'm excited. I can wait to ride a board that didn't pollute very ocean and air I use it in.