Gibbs Smith has been certified by B Lab as a B Corporation (B Corp) after meeting rigorous social and environmental standards, representing the company's commitment to goals outside shareholder profit. It now boasts of being "the only 100% employee-owned, certified B Corp publisher and distributor in the U.S." There are some 6,200 B Corps in the world, including Bookshop.org.
Gibbs Smith, with headquarters in Layton, Utah, was organized as a Benefit Corporation when employees bought half of company in 2015. Employees bought the other half last year, and the company was certified as a B Corp on February 4.
CEO Brad Farmer commented: "We are 100% employee-owned and are accountable and transparent to employee-owners as we work to contribute to their financial, physical, professional, and social well-being. We give back to local communities with in-kind charitable donations and by giving our time and skills to help them thrive. We continually improve our environmental stewardship. Our physical office facilities, business travel, production/printing, and outbound shipping are all carbon neutral. Being a certified B Corp is a perfect fit for us."
Annie Agle, senior director of impact and sustainability at Cotopaxi, also a B Corp, and a member of the Gibbs Smith board of directors, said, "Certification shows that [Gibbs Smith] adhere to the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Welcome to the movement of businesses determined to create positive change in the world."
And employee-owner McKensie Shiner, web content specialist, said, "Being a certified B Corp makes me so proud of Gibbs Smith as a whole, from our transparency with one another in terms of revenue and environmental practices, to knowing that the work we put in every day will be given back to us with benefits like our unlimited time off policy and profit-sharing bonuses."