In the summer of 2022, apparel manufacturer Attraction enlisted experts from the Université de Sherbrooke to assess its carbon footprint. “Before we could improve, we needed to understand where our greenhouse-gas emissions were coming from. Without that information, it’s difficult to set concrete, measurable goals,” says Sébastien Jacques, who co-owns the family business with Julia Gagnon. Attraction is based in Lac-Drolet, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships.
The assessment brought some encouraging news: 95% of the company’s greenhouse-gas emissions came from a single process—drying screen-printed garments. To reduce those emissions, Attraction would need either to run its dryers on biofuel or replace them with electric equipment.
At the time, however, biofuels were not available in the region, and electric dryers were not yet efficient enough for the company’s needs.
Even so, Attraction achieved carbon neutrality. While waiting for a practical long-term solution, the company offset 100% of its direct greenhouse-gas emissions for 2022 by purchasing carbon credits.
Working Toward B Corp Certification
Attraction also began working toward B Corp certification, a designation for companies that meet environmental, social and governance standards.
The certification “provides a seal of approval. It shows that we aren’t greenwashing or cutting corners,” says Sébastien, Attraction’s Vice President of Business Development. “It ensures that we put rigorous, lasting processes in place instead of relying on one-off initiatives.”
The process also helped Attraction decide which actions to prioritize, including reducing its carbon footprint.
Environmental responsibility was already a priority for the company. When Julia joined the business, which her uncles had founded in 1980, she set out to create Ethica, a locally made apparel brand using only 100% organic cotton and recycled or upcycled polyester.
Meeting Customer Expectations
Attraction’s sustainability efforts gained momentum after Julia and Sébastien acquired the company in 2017. They made significant investments in production capacity and technology to better serve customers placing greater importance on ESG factors. The work included improving the energy efficiency of Attraction’s buildings. New equipment also cut water consumption by 50% and recirculates chemicals before they are sent for hazardous-material recovery.
Since 2019, Attraction has put nearly half of the boxes received from suppliers back into use. Its black screen-printing ink is made from recovered inks, and fabric offcuts are turned into cushions.
“We’re doing what we can with the resources we have. It isn’t perfect, but all those small actions add up and eventually make a real difference.”
— Sébastien Jacques
The apparel manufacturer, which serves promotional products distributors and souvenir retailers across Canada, had no intention of stopping there. At the time, Attraction had set a goal of replacing conventional cotton and polyester with recycled and organic alternatives in its Initial apparel line by 2026.
“The transition is underway. Organic and recycled fibres are becoming easier and easier to source,” Sébastien says.
Respect in the Workplace
At Attraction, respect extends beyond the environment to the workplace: the company’s employees are unionized.
“It’s simply part of our values,” Sébastien says. Diversity and inclusion are also central to the company’s growth. Attraction’s new Montreal workshop, opened just over a year earlier, employed more than 50 people representing some 15 nationalities. The company also welcomed international workers to its Lac-Drolet facilities.
“It brings new energy and new cultures not only to the company, but also to our small community,” Sébastien says. The couple even purchased housing themselves to provide homes for those employees.
To strengthen its governance, Attraction also began drawing on the experience of an advisory committee made up of business leaders. “We saw so many benefits. The committee complements our strengths and skills, and it also allows Julia and me to have a life outside the company—to enjoy a glass of wine on Friday night without talking only about work,” he says.
3 Questions for Sébastien Jacques
1. What Is the Best Advice You Have Received, or Would Have Liked to Receive?
“Years ago, someone advised me to make plenty of decisions, surround myself with the right people, and accept that mistakes would happen. What matters is making more good decisions than bad ones and correcting the bad ones quickly, because inaction can be fatal.”
2. Looking Back, What Would You Have Done Differently?
“At the start of the pandemic, we invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in new markets and products that didn’t deliver the results we had hoped for. Looking back, those efforts would have been better spent on our traditional markets, where they could have helped us widen our lead over the competition.”
3. What Motivates You as an Entrepreneur and a Leader?
“Every day, we have an opportunity to shape the world around us and build a future that reflects our vision. Some people choose to be artists; others choose to be entrepreneurs.”
In collaboration with the École d’Entrepreneurship de Beauce