“Energy will be the next huge revolution. There will be no oil left, but there will be plenty of opportunities if you look for answers in farms, forests or the sun.”
Van Vlahakis, Founder
Our founder Van Vlahakis comes to NYC from Greece in 1958.
After graduating from Roosevelt University and working as a chemist in the cleaning products industry, Van begins to see the negative health effects of harsh chemicals and starts his own cleaning products company in his garage.
Earth Friendly Products is incorporated to begin selling products at retail locations.
Earth Friendly Products introduces ECOS Laundry Detergent, which quickly becomes our flagship product.
The US EPA’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) designates Earth Friendly Products with Champion-level recognition for environmental leadership in the use of safer surfactants, the highest level of recognition offered under SDSI.
Our Midwestern Division facility opens in Addison, Illinois, powered by the largest commercial solar array in Illinois.
Earth Friendly Products receives California’s highest environmental honor.
Earth Friendly Products is honored with the California Governor’s Environmental & Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, building public-private partnerships and strengthening the state’s economy. (Earth Friendly Products received this award for a second time 2016.)
Our Northwestern Division facility opens its doors in Lacey, Washington.
A major motion picture about Van’s life and work, A Green Story, premieres.
Our global sales office in Greece opens, expanding our international reach.
We achieve carbon neutrality, in part by switching all of our facilities to 100% renewable energy, saving over 56 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
2014:
Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, Van’s daughter,
is named president and CEO.
Our manufacturing facilities receive TRUE Zero Waste Platinum certification.
Through extensive sustainability initiatives including reduction of unnecessary waste, recycling and improved resource efficiency, we achieve a 95% diversion of waste from landfills and incineration at our four manufacturing sites. By working to close the loop on excess waste, we have cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduced pollution and added value to the communities where we do business.
Our Northeastern Division facility in Parsippany, New Jersey opens.
Our doors officially open in Parsippany on Earth Day, welcoming officials and community leaders to learn more about our deep commitment to and heritage in green cleaning. Relocating allows us to accommodate increased demand for products on the East Coast, as well as international markets.
All products are rebranded to ECOS.
The ECOS brand takes center stage with a modern, fresh look and feel. Rebranding our offering to align with our most popular product, ECOS Laundry Detergent, we unify our products under the ECOS brand to make the plant-powered goodness of our entire line more recognizable to consumers no matter where they shop.
Our corporate headquarters in Cypress, California, opens.
Our flagship manufacturing facility officially opens its doors on Earth Day. With the move, our manufacturing capacity in California increases by over 30%. The Cypress building proudly runs on 100% clean energy and includes a solar panel garden to take advantage of our HQ’s sunny Southern California location.
We achieve a new sustainability milestone as a water neutral manufacturer.
After a six-year concerted effort to actively reduce water usage through more water-efficient manufacturing practices and elimination of water waste, Earth Friendly Products announces its operations as a water neutral manufacturer.
We celebrate our 50th anniversary.
This major milestone is marked with well-attended events that welcome local leaders and community partners into our facilities to celebrate 50 years of green cleaning. We share this achievement by giving back to our communities, making contributions to non-profit partner organizations like the Discovery Cube museums in Southern California, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Roosevelt University in Illinois, our founder’s alma mater, to establish the Eftichios Van Vlahakis Organic Chemistry Lab where students can research new formulas and products based on renewable resources.
Our corporate headquarters is recognized as a Top Workplace.
This annual award from The Orange County Register recognizes over 100 companies in the county that have created a positive working environment for their employees. Our collaborative culture, inspiring mission and supportive work atmosphere earn us this honor.
ECOS is named U.S. EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year.
We earned this prestigious honor for the third time (2015, 2017, 2019) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for our leadership in establishing new Safer Choice-certified products, our dedication to ingredient transparency and continually innovating greener products.
Make Your Mark
If you’re interested in learning more about working with us, we’d love to hear from you.