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It was all going to waste...
Ford Motor Company has a reputation for disruptive innovation unlike any other company in modern American history.
A lesser-known tangent of Henry Ford’s legacy is another brand you’ll find in American homes from coast to coast: Kingsford Charcoal.
Early “motor coaches” were primarily made of wood, and as part of his expansion plan, Ford set out to vertically integrate his wood supply chain.
This involved huge swaths of forest land, sawmill operations, and treatment facilities.
A massive byproduct of a sawmill is wood chips.
Ford saw an opportunity to “waste not,” and his team developed a method for turning those chips into fuel. They would be dried, baked, mixed with starch, and pressed into bricks for portability.
These charcoal bricks were used in Ford operations, but the production volume was way more than Ford could use. Plus the commercial opportunity became evident in the coming years, first with restaurants and eventually in retail stores.
So, Henry Ford (being Henry Ford) set out to create an entirely different business that is now nearly as well-known as his cars.
The next time you fill your charcoal chimney and get out the burgers and franks, remember that your perfectly cooked goodness is thanks in part to a genius business move over 100 years ago.
Where can you turn wasted into profit?
What do you have taking up idle space, that can be turned into cash?
Wasted metal like steel, copper, and aluminum can be turned into cash by scrapping. Cash sitting in a safe or savings account can be put into CD’s or Treasury Bonds (at least!). Coffee grounds can be turned into bedding for chicken coops. Even a backyard pool can be rented out to families who don’t have one.
Look at your life with fresh eyes, there’s probably a golden opportunity lying in wait.
Onward and upward,
Simon Trask
(Small business author, advisor, and advocate)
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