May 8, 2009

Pair bags piece of ‘green’ marketBy Alicia W. RobertsCharlotteObserver.com

North Carolina natives and Charlotte-based eco-entrepreneurs Carla Manna and Renee Fischer describe success this way:

When friends and customers forget their Neela shopping bags in the trunk or at home, they say they won’t accept a plastic or paper stand-in at the store. Instead, they juggle their purchases as they walk to the car.

But the owners of Neela Products Inc. can define success this way, too:

More than 25,000 bags sold in 23 states in the U.S., plus Canada.

82 retail outlets in the U.S., 28 in the Carolinas alone.

Two new patterns introduced in March, plus plans for a new pattern and style debuting in July.

The pair launched their company in May 2008 with the goal of making it easier for people to do their part in saving the planet. Manna had a background in textiles – she cut her teeth in the area working for Springs Industries – and finance wiz Fischer had relocated to the Los Angeles area, where municipalities have banned the distribution of plastic bags in stores.

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