CEA Profile: Retail & Hospitality Winner Sapona Green Building Center

Matthew and Elaine Jack: Co-founders and owners of Sapona Green Building Center.

When Matthew and Elaine Jack decided to open their own “green” building store, they knew they needed to find the perfect name to convey their vision. While names including the words Wilmington and Cape Fear were ruled out because of their frequent use in the community, Elaine did not want to stray too far from the idea.

In the end, the couple looked to the forefathers of sustainability, the Native Americans, for inspiration. Elaine said they named the company for the Saponi Indians – Sapona means Cape Fear.

“Green building is about a lot of things, but it’s about sustainability and they were about sustainability, reusing and minimizing their footprint,” Elaine said.

Taking the lead from the Saponi, Elaine used her background in biology, ecology and conservation and combined Matthew’s experience in the construction industry to create Sapona Green Building Center.

The company’s mission is to distribute sustainable, recycled and nontoxic products, along with renewable energy systems and water-conserving fixtures.

Inside Sapona, showroom walls are covered with samples of recycled glass countertops, nontoxic carpet, reclaimed wood flooring and nontoxic paints.

The company carries an extensive line of water conservation products including dual flush toilets, grey-water systems, rain harvesting systems and tankless water heaters.

The product line encompasses anything necessary to outfit a home in an environmentally friendly way, but Elaine said they never expect customers to use all of their products.

“We never ask people to do it all. You can’t do it all, but you can do bits and pieces,” she said.

To aid in renovations, Sapona offers a variety of services from consultations to professional installations by contractors trained with the specialty products and fixtures.

The idea for Sapona stemmed from the Jack family’s pursuit of similar products when renovating their own home in anticipation of a new baby.

The couple was surprised to find that the nearest store carrying low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint was two hours away.
While conducting further research, they found a variety of manufactured products that were also unavailable in Wilmington.
From their research, the Jacks created an idea for a one-stop-shop for green building.

After incorporating in 2007, Sapona opened the doors of the company’s first retail space in 2008. Their business plan included the service of three different market segments: the environmentally conscious, individuals with chemical-sensitive allergies and style-minded consumers. Currently, Sapona sees the majority of its business from homeowners involved in renovations.

“We opened when new homes weren’t really being built,” Elaine said. Because of the current industry climate, Sapona added Pat Mason to their staff in February to focus her efforts on the commercial market sector.

But Elaine and her husband are not worried about weathering the storm. “I think as people see that these products and green building are here to stay, things will grow,” she said.

While homebuilders may not be ready to make radical changes today, Elaine said it’s difficult to ignore the benefits of green building.

“One thing about green that’s really important is that is saves you money down the line,” she said, explaining that people can save 25 percent of their energy bill by using a solar water heater, a system that will pay for itself within five years. “There’s also the payoff for people who feel good about what they’re doing,” Elaine said.
Because of the fiscal benefits of green building and the Jacks’ knowledge in the market, the couple has high hopes for the future.

“I’d like to say that we’ll be bigger and we can have more options for people to look at in the store,” Elaine said, explaining they are looking for green products at both ends of the price spectrum.
An idea for a satellite store in New Bern or Myrtle Beach is also a possibility, she said.

Presently, Sapona is focusing on spreading the word about green building through informational seminars on green products and services held once a month. “It plants a seed,” Elaine said.