PITTSBORO — Tami Schwerin, founder of The Plant, was honored with a Sustainable Business of the Year Award by the North Carolina Business Council at its annual awards banquet on Jan. 26.
The 6th annual event was held at Transfer Co. Food Hall in downtown Raleigh and included a record number of nominees.
“I was stunned,” Schwerin said. “We’ve been re-developing The Plant since 2005, but this is the first award we have received for our endeavor.”
The Plant campus is home to dozens of mission-driven businesses, manufacturing everything from beer to spirits to clothing made from hemp. It has emerged as a popular visitor destination, for food and beverage, outdoor activities, and events.
The Business Council is a statewide coalition of businesses and business partners who have a passion for creating purpose-driven businesses.
“We’ve invested in local food, solar energy and stormwater management because they are things we believe in,” Schwerin said.
Visitors to The Plant can enjoy its hiking trail and its expansive park, complete with a constructed wetland. Scooters, e-bikes and axe throwing are included in some of its activities, along with picnics and bird watching, set in an edible landscape of increasingly native plants.
“We are glad the North Carolina Business Council shares our passion for developing a restorative local economy,” Schwerin said. “And we are delighted to have won this year’s award.”
The Plant is located at 220 Lorax Lane, just east of downtown Pittsboro. For more information, go to www.theplantnc.com.