Sheffield’s Gripple is proud to announce the company’s certification as a B Corporation (or B Corp).

Gripple, the manufacturer of wire joiners and tensions for agriculture and innovative suspension solutions for construction, infrastructure and the solar markets, has been certified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corporation movement, as having met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.

By achieving this, Gripple is joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit.

The B Corp certification addresses the entirety of a business’ operations and covers five key impact areas of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. The certification process is rigorous, with applicants required to reach a benchmark score of over 80 while providing evidence of socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency. To complete the certification, the company will legally embed their commitment to purpose beyond profit in their company articles.

Gripple is now part of a community of 6,279 businesses globally who have certified as B Corps. The B Corp community in the UK, representing a broad cross section of industries and sizes, comprises over 1,100 companies and include well-known brands such as The Guardian, innocent, Patagonia, The Body Shop and organic food pioneers Abel & Cole.

Recent attention on the manufacturing industry makes Gripple B Corp certification a notable step and signals a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the sector.

Ed Stubbs, Managing Director of Gripple, said: “We are extremely proud to achieve B Corp certification.  Running a successful business is much more than just turning over a profit.  B Corp certification shows that we really do achieve the highest standards of performance, accountability and transparency in key areas such as employee benefits, charitable giving, supply chain practices and sustainability.”

Chris Turner, Executive Director of B Lab UK, says “We are delighted to welcome Gripple to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good.

“Welcoming Gripple is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the manufacturing industry. We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Gripple in paving the way for a new approach to doing things”.

“Gripple’s commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit.”

There are currently over 1,100 B Corps in the UK and 6,279 worldwide.

Find out more about Gripple here