MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Chris Videau, co-founder and CEO of Mooresville-based Sheets Laundry Club, used the experience he gained in the Army to bolster success for his business.
Videau spent about 20 years in the military as a Black Hawk pilot before retiring in February 2016. During the time he served overseas he was made aware of the global plastic and waste crisis that harmfully affects the planet every day.
After discovering he had permanent lung damage from being exposed to trash burn pits utilized in military outposts, Videau and his wife decided to eliminate single-use plastics in their household. That was seven to 10 years prior to the idea of his startup, Sheets Laundry Club, an eco-friendly, plastic-free laundry alternative.
One key takeaway Videau said stuck with him from the military was that profitable work can be hard to achieve without a team effort. This theory is what sparked the birth of Sheets Laundry Club.
Videau met the startup’s other co-founder, Chris Campbell, at their son’s T-ball game years ago. Campbell told him he was looking to create the next subscription service, similar to Dollar Shave Club.
“And that’s kind of where it all started,” he said. “The intent for me was to really just remain in the plastic-free space and provide a product that’s good for the planet but also, efficacy-wise, gave the same cleaning power that liquid detergents had.”
The startup has since gone on the hit TV show “Shark Tank” — and come away successful — and is eyeing an expanded product line.
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