Spotlight On: Dai Living
Lancaster, Virginia
Brad Grinnen makes no distinction between his work designing and manufacturing Tibetan rugs and his commitment to bettering the community. "My faith is so much a part of me that it wasn't a love of rugs that took me to this work, it was my love of humanity," he says. To that end, Brad allied his company with the GoodWeave certification program. "I only work with GoodWeave licensed factories," he says emphatically. "It is the only way I know to guarantee child labor is not used in the production."
Previously involved with his wife’s design business, Brad―whose last job was as a youth pastor in the Nazarene Church―is now focused exclusively on Dai Living. The company’s specialty is Pashmina wool shag rugs. The simple, handmade rugs come in four colors, two shapes and five different sizes. Brad keeps things simple to let the texture of the wool take center stage. Speaking of his own favorite in the collection, a round rug in a color he calls "cloud," he says that "the texture is so rich, soft and luxurious, it’s just nice to get out of bed and put your feet on the rug!"
The rugs are made in Nepal in a GoodWeave licensed factory, and Brad stresses that not only are the rugs child-labor-free but also ecofriendly, as he uses only vegetable dyes. "You just can’t let kids lie on rugs made with chemicals," he says.
It is clear that Brad’s interest in the rug business extends well beyond that of the typical entrepreneur. He is focused on the profitability of his venture but more interested in the benefits that profitability provides to the weaving community. "When I make money, funds go to GoodWeave, and that’s the way I can help the cause," says Brad in reference to the assistance weavers receive through Dai Living’s licensing fees.
While admitting to disappointment at the lack of a broader awareness of the issue of child labor in the rug industry, Brad is doing his part to change that. "When I tell people about GoodWeave, they are very interested." he says. "I think they care, but some people simply haven’t made the connection that some rugs are still made with child labor." But Brad is hopeful about the industry’s ability to change. GoodWeave’s work, he points out, shows that it is possible to end child labor through marketing. He believes the rest will follow. "It will just take a bit of awareness that the most important things in life are love and justice."
To learn more about Dai Living, visit www.dailiving.com.
