Given out at a breakfast event in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with the Business for Social Responsibility conference, the awards are a salute to four companies, large and small, leading the way in ethics and corporate social responsibility excellence.
In addition to Intel, other winners announced today by New York-based Business Ethics magazine:
South Mountain Co., of West Tisbury, Mass., won the Workplace Democracy Award. “When the employees are the owners,” said founder John Abrams, “essential business priorities change.” South Mountain is a 30-year-old, $6 million architecture and construction firm on Martha’s Vineyard, which seeks to build buildings that are, in Abrams’ terms, artful, calm, comforting, airy, energy-efficient, healthy to live in, and made of low-impact materials.
New Leaf Paper of San Francisco won the Environmental Excellence Award. With $18 million in 2005 revenue, the company aims to “inspire the paper industry to move toward sustainability,” said founder and CEO Jeff Mendelsohn. Since 1998, New Leaf has saved nearly 700,000 trees, since over half the fiber used in its papers comes from post-consumer waste.
Weaver Street Cooperative of Carrboro, NC, won the Living Economy Award. In its small town, the 17-year-old Weaver Street Market is more than a food store — it’s a community hub, featuring outdoor space with sculpture, fountain, tables and benches.
The Business Ethics Awards were made possible by underwriter Hewlett-Packard, benefactors Granite Construction and Wendy’s, and other supporters. Business Ethics is an 18-year-old publication focused on ethics and corporate social responsibility, published by New York-based New Mountain Media.