About the Author: Gavin Watson originally developed and put these ideas into practice inside his family business, Watson Inc. As a food manufacturer, Gavin designed state-of-the-art edible film manufacturing equipment and improved upon the designs of milling, blending, and fluid bed equipment. Starting as a maintenance mechanic, he moved up through engineering and eventually became vice president of operations and company chair. He led the company’s focus on employee engagement and energy reduction through a self-organizing, self-directed team approach. In 2019, the company sold for $89 million.
Passionate about addressing climate change at work and at home, Gavin began purchasing 100% renewable electricity in 2010. In the 1990s, Gavin converted a Porsche 914 to an electric car and, later in the early 2000s, converted two diesel-powered cars to run on vegetable oil. For one of these, Gavin won most efficient biofuel vehicle and most environmentally friendly biofuel vehicle at the NESEA 2006 Tour de Sol. Gavin is also an avid boat builder and a sailor and built a 19-foot double-ended yawl for cruising the Maine coast.