TILLAMOOK, ORE. - The Tillamook County Creamery Association (Tillamook) has been recognized as a Certified B Corporation, after demonstrating the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
"Since our founding in 1909, Tillamook has embraced the stewardship values that B Corps also represent," said Paul Snyder, executive vice president of stewardship for Tillamook. "While this is a new honor that we are both pleased and humbled to receive, the actions that earned us this certification are not new to us. We have a commitment more than 100 years old to caring for our cows and farms, our people and products, our communities and the environment."
B Corps are for-profit companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. The B Corp certification process measures a company's performance in five impact areas: governance, workers, customers, community and the environment. There are currently more than 3,500 B Corps in 150 industries and 74 countries around the world.
To qualify for B Corp certification, Tillamook responded to 220 questions in the key impact areas along with 58 additional disclosure questions. More than 90% of the questions were verified with documentation, data, policies and/or verbal confirmations. With a score of 86.6, Tillamook exceeded the minimum required score of 80 to become B Corp certified.
Key to achieving B Corp certification are Tillamook's well-established stewardship commitments that guide the co-op's daily actions related to:
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Thriving farms
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Healthful cows
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Inspired consumers
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Enduring ecosystems
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Fulfilled employees
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Enriched communities
"Tillamook has been dedicated to stewardship since the beginning, so we didn't have to change who we are to become B Corp certified. But we did have to prove how we live out our commitments to all our stakeholders," said Jocelyn Bridson, director of environment and community impact of Tillamook. "We follow a model of continuous improvement, and we are always pushing to do better. Earning B Corp certification is a sign that we are on the right track and it offers a platform to improve our practices and performance over time."