Bigelow Tea, the U.S. specialty tea market leader, announces that it has become a Certified B Corporation, joining more than 2,700 companies worldwide that are committed to using their businesses as a positive force for social and environmental change.
Cindi Bigelow, third-generation president & CEO of thefamily-owned company which manufactures “Constant Comment”® and more than 150varieties of tea, said corporate social responsibility has always been a corebusiness value for Bigelow Tea.
“Being certified as a B Corp officially recognizes acommitment that has been part of the company’s DNA since it was founded by mygrandmother Ruth Campbell Bigelow 75 years ago,” Cindi Bigelow said. “Ourpurpose has always been about much more than making profits. We’re committed togood citizenship, ethical business practices, accountability and transparency,protecting the environment, sustainability and supporting our communities.”
In order to be certified as a B Corp (B stands for “benefit”),a company must undergo a rigorous assessment of its business practices and meetthe highest standards of social and environmental performance in addition toexpanding its corporate responsibilities to include the interests of variousstakeholders. The certification process is conducted by B Lab, a nonprofitorganization that measures how a company treats workers, suppliers, environmentand the community.
"Bigelowhas always been a pioneer in helping people conceptualize how companies can usebusiness as a force for good. Certifying as a B Corporation and registering asa CT benefit corporation ensures the company stays true to its mission as itcontinues to demonstrate leadership in the midst of growing impatience with theold ways of doing business,” according to Andy Fyfe, Business Development, BLab. “They now join a community of 2700+ B Corps, across 150+ industries,operating in 50+ countries around the world meeting the highest standards ofsocial and environmental performance, transparency, and legalaccountability."
B Lab certifies and supports a growing global community ofmore than 2700 Certified B Corporations in over 60 countries and 150industries. They share a commitment to making business a force for goodworldwide.
Bigelow Tea leadership completed an extensive impactassessment report administered by B Lab that required hundreds of hours ofresearch and documentation, showing how the company met the establishedobjectives in specific areas that include governance, employees, environment,community and consumers.
Bigelow has long prided itself on its environmental,sustainability and community programs, including charitable initiativescentered around the Bigelow Tea Community Challenge, an annual road race thathas contributed $1.7 million to local non-profits over the past 31 years.
“We were very excited to discover that by doing the thingsthat had been written into our mission statement more than 30 years ago, wewere already meeting the requirements,” Cindi Bigelow said.
“To me, ethical leadership means thinking about the long termand ensuring we are doing the right thing for our future. It means constantlyworking to create an environment of pride and making a difference every day sowe all feel motivated to be the best we can possibly be,” she added. “Beingcertified as a B Corp redoubles our long-standing efforts and helps everyoneunderstand that we need to take corporate responsibility extremely seriously.”
Certification as a B Corp is a natural progression forBigelow Tea, which in 2017 registered with the State of Connecticut as aBenefit Corporation, thereby designating corporate social responsibility as acore business goal. Being a Benefit Corporation legally codified the company’scommitment to all its stakeholders. It also established the company goal ofusing the business for a general public benefit to create a positive impact onthe environment and society.
“First registering as a Benefit Corporation and now becominga Certified B Corp was something I truly felt captured the spirit of ourcompany -- a company that is inspired by more than just making a profit,” CindiBigelow said. “Clearly, we need to maintain strong profitability, but weshould never lose sight of the fact that we also need to focus on doing goodthings with the power we hold inside this company.”
As a Certified B Corp, Bigelow Tea will continue to monitorand improve its performance in these strategic areas and release regularreports to its stakeholders and the public.
About Bigelow Tea Company
Based in Fairfield, CT and 100% family owned, the Bigelow Tea Company pioneered the specialty tea category nearly 75 yearsago. The three-generational company, founded by Ruth Campbell Bigelow in 1945,takes pride in its heritage and successful growth from a one-product,entrepreneurial venture into America’s leading specialty tea company. Producing2 billion tea bags annually, the Bigelow Tea line includes more than 150 varieties of Flavored,Traditional, Green, Organic, Herbal, Decaffeinated and Wellness teas –including its flagship specialty tea flavor, “Constant Comment”®, an all-time American favorite.
It is a Certified B Corp, one of a select group of companies that has designated corporate social responsibilityas a core business goal in the pursuit of a positive social and environmentalimpact.
In 2003, the company purchased and restored the Charleston Tea Plantation, preserving the 127-acre American tea garden locatedon Wadmalaw Island, just south of Charleston, South Carolina as a working teafarm. It is here where hundreds of thousands of ancestral tea bushes that gointo the making of Charleston Tea Plantation teas are grown and cultivatedwithout pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or insecticides. The Charleston TeaPlantation has become a "must see" destination for more than 70,000travelers from around the world who visit annually to learn how tea is grownand harvested, and sample products made from tea grown on the premises.
Bigelow Tea products are available online and in grocery and natural stores nationwide. Please visit the website to learn more, www.bigelowtea.com and join Bigelow Tea in social media by joining the #TeaProudly community on all channels.
About B Corporations
Certified BCorporations are for-profit companiesthat use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainableeconomy. They meet the highest verified standards of social and environmentalperformance, transparency and accountability. To date, there are more than 2,700B Corps in over 150 industries and 64 countries around the world.
About B Lab
B Lab is a nonprofit that serves a global movement ofpeople using business as a force for good. Their initiatives include B CorpCertification, administration of the B Impact Management programs, and advocacyfor governance structures like the benefit corporation. B Lab’s vision is of aninclusive and sustainable economy that creates a shared prosperity for all.