About Us
About Us
Welcome to Texas Cork Company! We are a family business specializing in eco-friendly products made from cork.
Our mission is to bring cork into the public spotlight across Texas and beyond. We believe that most people would choose environmentally friendly alternatives if those options were similarly convenient, durable and affordable as the traditionally less eco-conscious choices. That is one of the reasons we love cork: it provides consumers with sustainable alternatives to animal leather or plastics without sacrificing beauty, durability or affordability.
Cork is an incredibly renewable material and can be recycled many times over. Read our blog, Cork Chronicles, to learn more. To preserve the sustainable nature of cork, we are dedicated to greener business practices outside of just the products we sell.
While we are not perfect, we make conscious efforts to be sustainably minded and eco-conscious in our business decisions. For example, we recycle and reuse as much packaging and shipping material as possible. So when you order a product from us online, it will frequently be shipped in a reused box or envelope and padded with reused or recycled packing materials. This approach is not as pretty as beautifully branded packaging, but these typically single-use materials are some of the largest sources of waste in oceans and landfills so we feel it is important not to further contribute to the problem.
We are also committed to seeing the growth of cork as a more readily available material in the Americas. Therefore, we have begun planting cork oak trees and researching the optimal growing conditions here in central Texas. Eventually, we hope that by cultivating these evergreen trees, we will be able to offer more products that are made here in Texas as well as offset the carbon footprint of our business. You can keep up with our Cork Oak Project by following us on social media, subscribing to our email newsletter or checking our blog.
At Texas Cork Company we also believe that family is everything. This journey has greatly expanded our family as we have welcomed many customers and fellow vendors into that fold. We care deeply about the community we are building and take pride in providing the best possible products and customer service. We know we could not be doing this without you!
Thank you for supporting our small business,
Breanne Harty and Susan Harty (a.k.a the "cork ladies")
Cork is beautiful today, and good for tomorrow!
In the News
The New York City Journal (4/2023): https://thenycjournal.
Texas Monthly (6/2024): https://www.texasmonthly.com/style/travel-accessories-texas-small-business/
Who are the "Cork Ladies"?
Dr. Breanne Harty (left)
Breanne is the visionary behind the Texas Cork mission. She is the CEO, the face behind marketing efforts and generally the one with wild ideas!
👨👩👧👧 Mom of multiples: My twin girls were born just before the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown.
🔬 Scientist by training: I have a PhD in Genetics from Washington University in St. Louis and studied nervous system development for nearly 10 years.
👩🏫 Educator at heart: I have taught science at every level from 7th grade to graduate courses.
😎 Other fun facts: I am an animal lover, a wine lover and all around nerd!
🌳 Why cork? I love cork because of it's unique scientific properties. It's ability to regenerate is a genetic marvel!
Susan Harty (right)
Susan is the integrator. She is the CFO and chief do-er who makes Breanne's wild ideas a reality.
👨👩👧👦 Mom of two: I have two grown children (Breanne and Casey). I'm also a grandmother of two lovely young ladies; they call me Gigi.
👩💻 The first half of my life: I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees from NMSU and retired after working more than 30 years at a national research and development laboratory.
📊 Analyst at heart: I love the details of running a business. Sewing, spreadsheets, and digging in data are my happy places.
🛳️ Other fun facts: I enjoy reading, old sitcoms, a great glass of white wine, and sitting by the pool on a cruise ship or just in the backyard!
🌳 Why cork? I love cork because of the soft texture and beautiful patterns in cork fabrics. I love how easy it is to sew with and make such great products.