our history
Today, ecohaus is a national leader in green building supplies, but the company grew from a tiny seed of hope that was planted when “environmentally friendly” products were a long way from the mainstream.
Back in 1991, company founder Matthew Freeman-Gleason was building homes near Seattle. With each passing day, he found it more difficult to go to work: When he looked at what he was helping to create, he thought about the huge price it was exacting in terms of the environment and human health. At the same time, he saw the built environment as an enormous forum for positive change. If even a fraction of the world's construction and remodeling could be done in a sustainable way, the benefits would be staggering.
He knew that environmentally sound products existed, and that very few people had good access to them. When he set out to learn why, everyone gave him the same answer: “Green” products are more expensive than conventional ones, and they don’t work as well. Now he had a mission: to find sustainably made products that would perform as well and look as stylish as conventional ones, without costing more.
He spent months doing research and testing products, and in 1992 he and his wife, Alison, opened EnviResource in an 800-square-foot storefront on Bainbridge Island, Washington, just across the Puget Sound from Seattle. Three years later, the growing business moved to a spacious 12,000-square-foot space in downtown Seattle, where it opened as Environmental Home Center.
As time went on, more companies joined Environmental Home Center on the path it had forged years earlier. But the store remained on the cutting edge of the industry. In 2000, it added several members to its management team in anticipation of significant and rapid expansion. Chief Executive Officer Timothy Taylor and Chief Operating Officer Michael Alfstad left top executive positions at large companies and invested their own money in EHC because of their commitment to its mission and confidence about its future.
Meanwhile, in Portland, Oregon, Markus Stoffel and Abby Mages were building Environmental Building Supplies into a cornerstone of the city’s innovative green-building community. The company was founded in 1993 with a mission to provide materials that would be healthy for people and the planet, and it grew along with the local sustainability movement. By offering expert personal service to do-it-yourselfers, contractors, and builders, EBS successfully tapped into a growing market, and eventually opened a satellite store in the central Oregon city of Bend.
In 2006, Environmental Home Center combined with Environmental Building Supplies to become ecohaus. It was, as EHC’s Taylor described it, “a business marriage with two equally dynamic partners.” The two companies shared a reputation for credibility and a commitment to providing the best selection of high-performance, affordable green building materials available anywhere. The continued involvement of all the founders further ensured that deep local roots were maintained.
Today, with two stores in the Northwest and a web store that serves all 50 states, ecohaus is bringing beautiful, healthy building supplies to more homes every day. But its focus hasn’t changed. By offering top-quality merchandise, expert service, and trustworthy, candid information, ecohaus will continue to lead the way to a sustainable future.