No matter one’s personal preferences, I like to believe that we all want to make changes in order to better serve and preserve our environment for ourselves as well as the generations to follow. We definitely have made mistakes, but there is always time to change course and make a difference. That is exactly what BIG MAX is doing in their quest for environmental sustainability.
It is definitely a story worth discussing, so we wanted to give you all a closer look at what a market leader can do to make change, should they truly want to as much as BIG MAX.
Who is BIG MAX?
If you have been around The Hackers Paradise for any length of time, you have been introduced to BIG MAX, but it is worth taking a quick look at the brand for those who are less familiar.
BIG MAX is known for push carts, in fact, for the last 25 years they have been the #1 brand for pushcarts in the biggest market for the product in the world, Europe. You see, European golfers as a whole greatly prefer to walk whilst enjoying their rounds, and though there were previously some rudimentary carts out there, it was the BIG MAX Ti1000 conceptualized in 1994 which changed everything and put the company on a rocket ship to the top. While the recent years have seen the brand begin to get more attention Stateside, we still lose sight of the fact that BIG MAX is arguably the biggest push car brand in the world.
This is more than a one trick company, however. After establishing themselves as a dominant force in pushcarts, they have taken innovation to new places both in that realm as well as in the development of travel covers, waterproof golf bags, and more. It is that desire to continue evolving which gets us back to the topic at hand, making BIG MAX as sustainable as possible.
Using Success to Spark a Change
There is no reason to sugar coat it, BIG MAX as a company is putting their money where their mouth is. As the long-time segment leaders, it would be extremely easy to donate to a few “causes”, talk about change, but still keep the profit margin first and foremost. Honestly, we see it constantly in the world of manufacturing and production today. Companies know that the environment is a hot-button issue, and visibly supporting that concept can garner adulation, even if you aren’t as invested in changing as you portray. That is not BIG MAX.
No, BIG MAX is truly talking the talk, and walking the walk. Rather than feeling like they need to squeeze as much blood from a stone as possible whilst leading sales in the pushcart marketplace, the company is instead taking that positioning and using it to support a change. BIG MAX believes it to be their duty to help shepherd change because as an established company they have the ability to focus on minimizing environmental impact more than a new entity who must put all efforts into cost versus expense.
The first area BIG MAX is striving to make its push for environmental sustainability is in manufacturing. Since they are not at all a small producer in terms of quantity, it gives them the chance to pick and choose facilities which share their goals. For example, they have worked with a particular Vietnam based location for 28 years, in that time they have covered it in 423,538 square feet of solar panels which run all machinery as well as keeping it 6-10 degrees cooler during production. Add in the ability to capture rainwater into million-gallon tanks and re-use it inside and out.
Another area of focus has been the elimination of solvents in finishes and protective coatings. BIG MAX invested in R&D which formulated a new environmentally sound powder coating to finish all of their carts, more interesting is it is actually less expensive in addition to being safer and more environmentally sound. The commitment to investing in true research has led the company to many new practices which have multiple benefits, not only helping sustainability but also keeping expenses down.
Also interesting is that on this quest to change, the company has eliminated plastic from all its pushcart packaging and any plastic used elsewhere is either multi-purpose or recycled. BIG MAX has even gone so far as to make the protective cover for their golf bags a legitimate garment bag when turned over as well. They have even found ways to strengthen the carts and require less welds than previously as welding does indeed play a role in atmospheric pollution. Plus, where they do have to still weld, they now use robots which are much more efficient than humans in that application.
However, while production hosts many opportunities to create a more environmentally sustainable product, BIG MAX understands it has to go beyond that. This is why they have established “Trees for Trolleys” which was founded with the launch of their electric pushcarts and joins forces with the Jane Goodall Institute. This relationship serves to help reforestation in Uganda by planting a tree for every electric pushcart that the company produces.
As you can see, the Austrian based BIG MAX company is not like most who we see in the media today talking about change. No, they are a true market leader who are willing to take that success and invest it back, not just to meet their own goals, but to make a true difference in showing others that sustainability can still be done practically and without sacrifice to your quality or bottom line. No matter where you stand on the topic, it is refreshing to see such commitment.
What do you think about BIG MAX and their journey to make a difference? Jump into the comments below or directly on the THP Community and let’s have a conversation about it! For more information on their products, check out their website here.
