SOUTHAMPTON, Pa.—For its focus on employees, the environment and community outreach, plastic and rubber tubing manufacturer NewAge Industries Inc. has been awarded the coveted B Corp certification.
According to NewAge, the certification from the Berwyn, Pa.-based, non-profit B Lab is a function of the company being a "good corporate neighbor," its volunteer work with charitable organizations and waste handling and recycling.
NewAge, founded in 1954, joins 3,800 other B Corps across 74 countries.
"We're audited for financials and quality, but no one had examined us for how we operate or for our environmental practices," said NewAge CEO Ken Baker. "Being certified as a B Corp differentiates us from other suppliers, especially those in the biopharm and pharmaceutical industries. NewAge isn't a big conglomerate that was formed by buying a bunch of other companies, and we do not have investors who look only at the bottom line. We're independent, employee owned, and dedicated to staying that way."
NewAge has hosted Red Cross blood drives and is a supporter of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves' Toys for Tots drives. The company constructed a solar panel array to power its operations, and has sent retired laptop computers to rural, under-funded schools, and local high school students annually are invited to NewAge to participate in internships and education opportunities.
To meet these community outreach needs, NewAge employees are offered an annual paid day for participation, and company programs support employees' physical, mental and financial well-being.
In addition, NewAge and subsidiaries AdvantaPure, Verigenics and BrewSavor became 100-percent employees owned via an ESOP program.
"(The B Corp certification) was the next step in our evolution as a corporation," Baker said. "Companies that can do good things for others and the environment, all while remaining profitable, are well regarded. Consider Ben and Jerry's, Patagonia, Bombas, King Arthur Flour, Seventh Generation, Leesa, Cabot. NewAge is in very good company."
According to B Lab, these organizations "meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability."
