Paul Bibby
Mullumbimby residents are famously suspicious of chain stores setting up shop in their town.
As the great War on Woolies demonstrated, locals will go to considerable lengths to keep corporations out.
So it isn’t surprising that the arrival of a Linen House outlet on Mullum’s main street ruffled a few feathers.
But according to the owner of the new Linen House store Scott Duncan, the company is anything but a heartless multinational.
‘It’s a family-owned business started by my parents in 1993 and we’re all still involved in running it,’ Mr Duncan says.
‘We take our social and ethical responsibilities very seriously.
‘All of our factories are regularly audited for working and safety conditions and we encourage and reward them for running staff education programs.’
The company has also had a significant role in setting up and supporting international charity operations, most notably Y-Generation Against Poverty (YGAP), which provides funding to social entrepreneurs in some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities.
Scott says, ‘I’ve stepped back from it now, but we’re in multiple countries across the globe and it’s evolving in some pretty exciting directions.’
‘We’re not here to make a tonne of money and then nick off. We want to make a contribution to Mullum and to be part of the evolution of the town.’
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