Stephen Ezell is trying to start a revolution.

Massively reduced plastic consumption is possible, he says, as is making effective cleaning products without using harmful chemicals. But perhaps most important (if this revolution is to succeed) is that doing both of these things can also be profitable.

Ezell’s business is Truly Free, which has a goal of $100 million in sales this year. That’s not a typo. And its attainable, seeing as the Acme-based business (it operates out of the old Tom’s building) has more than 400,000 customers – including more than 100,000 regular monthly subscribers – that have fallen in love with the company’s products.

Having a successful business is quite nice, of course, but it’s clear that Ezell is driven by more than dollars. By saving many tons of plastic from landfill and moving away from harsh chemicals, his refill-based cleaning products system stands to upend the industry,

“We want people to vote wisely with their dollars,” Ezell said. “Honestly, I hope that a bunch of startups come and start copying us. The only way that we can create large-scale change is by altering consumer behavior.”

Sitting in his Acme office, surrounded by whitetail deer mounts and other hunting and fishing paraphernalia, Ezell doesn’t quite match the image one might expect given his company’s mission. But that just supports another of his points: Right or left, young or old, rich or not – what he and Truly Free are doing should be appealing to everyone. 

“I’m not a granola-munching Subaru driver. I eat meat, I drive a pickup truck,” he said. “But I believe we need to leave the world a better place.”

Read the full story of Truly Free (and much more) in the March edition of the Traverse City Business News (The Ticker's sister publication). Click here to subscribe to the TCBN, or click here for a list of where you can find it on newsstands.