PPB May 2017

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| MAY 2017 | 73
THINK
values is Give ADam (notice the
beaver pun). To Carter, it means
“we care a lot about our customers,
but it extends to caring about the
environment. I’ve always thought
you should leave the planet better
than you found it—I’d like the
world to be around for a long
time so we can continuemaking
buttons! Also, it’s an industry to
helpmove along and createmore
andmore jobs for our country.”
When the company outgrew
its 1,400 square-foot space and
purchased a larger space nearby
with twice the amount of square
footage, Carter made sure all the
renovations were eco-friendly,
even when they ended up costing
more than she planned. “We
had budgeted $80,000 to install
geothermal heating and cooling
again (our previous building has
it), but it ended up being around
$130,000. So we didn’t stay in
budget, but geothermal is a long-
term investment,” Carter explains.
On the other hand, using
reclaimedmaterials savedmoney
during the renovation process.
“We like the looks of the old stuff
better, like our slop sink [a deep
sink designed formessy tasks]
and interior windows, which are
beautiful oldwindows froma Tudor
mansion that were only $35 apiece
froman architectural salvage
place. If we bought themnew, they
wouldn’t have had the character we
wanted, or theywould have been
waymore expensive,” she adds.
The space is large enough to
house the company’s button
museum—the world’s only
tribute to buttons—which
features buttons dating back to
1896, and is free and open to the
public. “We created the Button
Museum to show how people
commemorated noteworthy
times in their lives by
creating and collecting these
wearable mementos,” Carter
states on the museum’s website.
Carter, who now co-owns the
company and the museum along
with her brother, Joel, is proud
that the company has grown every
year since it began (it’s now a
25-person operationmaking more
than 3.5 million buttons per year),
and she is optimistic about the
future. “The 2018 elections aren’t
far away, meaning candidates will
be ordering lots of buttons,” Carter
says. “Usually midterm elections
aren’t too busy, but we expect an
uptick. We are also working on
creating new, innovative button
packaging options.” Besides
buttons, the company makes
promotional magnets, mirrors
and bottle openers.
Looking back on her nearly
22 years in the button business,
Carter says she’s proudest of “. . .
setting up a business that attracts
such amazing people. I’m so
proud to work with all these great
people, both customers and
coworkers.”
Julie Richie is a former
associate editor for PPB.
Going Green
Christen Carter’s
Tips For Becoming A
More Environmentally
Conscious Company
• Ask your suppliers what they do
to reduce waste. If you would
like them to do more, suggest
that it’s important to you.
• When renovating, use reclaimed
materials. They can often be less
expensive, and it saves the items
from the landfill.
• Research green building
materials. For example, certain
types of insulation not only
perform better but also can
save materials from landfills.
The U.S. Green Building
Council at is a
good place to start.
• See alternative power as a
long-term investment. Things
can be more expensive on
the front end, like solar power
and geothermal heating and
cooling, but it does pay off.
Check on state and federal tax
incentives too.
The newly renovated Busy Beaver Button
Company headquarters in Chicago.
One of the
company’s core
values is GiveA
Dam(notice the
beaver pun). To
Carter, itmeans
“we care a lot about
our customers,
but it extends to
caring about the
environment. I’ve
always thought
you should leave
the planet better
than you found it.”