As Millennial tastes in work environments change, with more emphasis on social impact and doing "good," not just taking home a hefty paycheck, companies are being challenged to reform the workplace.
B Corp, which debuted in 2007, alters the legal construction of a company, incorporating their social and environmental goals and making a financial commitment to them. Seventh Generation and Patagonia were among the first to hop on board. Patagonia's founder Yvon Chouinard was already known for his "alternative" business practices in operating a "slow company."
What started in California has now spread nationwide. There are now 764 B Corps in the United States, and over 1,000 around the world.
This week, B Corps announced its third annual 'B Corps Best for Workers' List. The criteria included compensation and benefits, health and wellness programs, parent-friendly flex time and leave policies, professional development and internal promotion, corporate culture, profit sharing and ownership opportunities.
Here's a list of 13 midsize businesses, with 50 or more employees, that could be termed as "cream of the crop" for 2014 by B Corp standards. For the full list, click here.
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1. Chroma Technology Corp (Bellows Falls, VT) - Chroma Technology Corp. is an employee-owned business that designs and manufactures optical filters and coatings.
2. Cooperative Home Care Associates (Bronx, NY) - CHCA is, reportedly, the nation’s largest worker-owned cooperative for home care services to elders and individuals living with disabilities.
3. Dansko (West Grove, PA) - Dansko, translated as “Danish Shoe,” sells flexible-bottom clogs.
4. HCA (Philadelphia, PA) - Home Care Associates of Philadelphia (HCA) provides home care jobs across the Philadelphia metropolitan area for elders and people with disabilities.
5. King Arthur Flour Company (White River Junction, VT) - King Arthur Flour is one of America’s oldest flour company, operating for over two hundred years.
6. MAX Insurance (Overland Park, KS) -Mutual Aid eXchange (MAX) is a member-owned enterprise that provides insurance "the way it should be: fair, faithful and socially responsible."
7. Namaste Solar (Boulder, CO) - Namasté Solar is an employee-owned cooperative that designs, installs, and maintains solar electric systems for homes, businesses, non-profits, and government entities.
8. PeaceWorks Technology Solutions (Waterloo, Canada) - PeaceWorks provides technology solutions.
9. Rally Software (Boulder, CO) - Rally Software is a global provider of cloud-based solutions for managing Agile software development.
10. Sungevity (Oakland,
11. The Redwoods Group (Morrisville, NC) - The Redwoods Group, a privately-held, socially conscious company, provides property and casualty insurance underwriting and risk and claims management services to YMCAs, community centers, and resident camps across the nation.
12. Traction on Demand (Burnaby, Canada) -Traction is a CRM consulting and software development firm with expertise in
13. Woodfold Mfg., Inc. (Forest Grove, OR) -Woodfold Manufacturing makes custom wood products in Forest Grove, Oregon. Their accordion doors and partitions are used to separate space in commercial, institutional, and residential environments.
