A few months ago, The Scout visited Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California—perhaps the last ceramics manufacturer of their scale left in the United States. Upon touring their factory, it was clear that there was a strong sense of pride in the craftsmanship behind Heath’s simple pieces. The people we spoke with had worked there for 10, 20, 30+ years, and were still beaming with pride. Heath had brought together the trifecta of beautiful, local, and sustainable—and created a successful business out from it.

While this approach is a rarity, there is growing concern for ethical products that last. Maria Moyer of WINK Communications and Cathy Bailey of Heath Ceramics have banded together with several other creative types and taste-makers to form Bureau of Friends. Their mission is to share ideas about creating beautiful things in a responsible way.

They are working outside the typical conference framework, and gathering small groups of thought leaders to brainstorm new ways of working and making. Recently, they’ve held a sewing circle at Partners & Spade in New York City inviting folks from the Wooster Collective, New York Times, ReadyMade magazine and Reference Library.

Unlike most other Bureaus, let’s hope they share their secret knowledge. If it means more companies like Heath have the opportunity to last, then we are better off in many ways.