B Corps are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. A B-Corporation Certification is the gold standard for companies to prove their high ethical standards.
B Corp businesses are measured based on numerous factors – from employee benefits and charitable giving, to supply chain practices and sustainable material use – but where are the best B Corps to work for?
Here at Switch on Business we have analyzed the data to find out the best B Corps to work for in the US, as well as which states and sectors have achieved the most B Corp company certifications.
The best B Corps to work for in the US
Atomic Object LLC, headquartered in Michigan, is the leading B Corp employer across the whole of America, according to the analysis. This company had the second highest impact area score of the companies analyzed, and a Glassdoor review score of 4.8 out of 5.
Founded in 2001, Atomic Object is an employee-owned Certified B Corp. It helps companies innovate and grow by creating custom software that’s ‘beautiful, reliable, and easy to use’. With offices in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Chicago and Raleigh-Durham, it serves a national base of clients across many industries.
Upon achieving certification, Atomic Object CEO Carl Erickson said: “The conventional definition of success in the software business is primarily revenue (wealth for the founder/stockholders), or pushing technical boundaries and working on cool things.
“While we certainly value creating wealth for our 35-odd employee owners, we also care about all our stakeholders: our clients, employees, shareholders, the communities where we work…we think long-term, our bottom line is determined by our reputation, the happiness of our employees, and the health of our local communities.”
In a close second place for best B Corp to work for came Butler/Till, based in New York. Butler/Till is a media and communications agency which ‘prides itself on building a culture that literally rewards creativity with ownership of the agency through its employee stock ownership plan.’ Eligibility is open to any employee with at least one full-year of service to the agency.
On Glassdoor, the company achieves a rare 100 percent CEO approval score, with a number of reviews claiming the company is the “best place they have ever worked”.
These are the top 10 B Corps to work for in the US according to our index ranking:
| Rank | Company | Impact area score | Glassdoor review score | Glassdoor ‘refer a friend’ score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atomic Object LLC | 63.6 | 4.8 | 97% |
| 2 | Butler/Till | 62.5 | 4.8 | 94% |
| 3 | Hallam-ICS | 61.3 | 4.7 | 100% |
| 4 | Ingage Partners | 63.8 | 4.5 | 100% |
| 5 | Nehemiah Manufacturing Company | 72.1 | 4 | 100% |
| 6 | PV Squared | 52.8 | 5 | 100% |
| 7 | Northwest Permanente | 62.2 | 4.4 | 90% |
| 8 | California Solar Electric Cooperative | 45.2 | 4.7 | 100% |
| 9 | The Green Engineer, Inc. | 37.6 | 5 | 100% |
| 10 | Wescott Financial Advisory Group | 37.4 | 5 | 100% |
Best states for B Corps in the US
When analysing the B Corps across the US, our team analysed which states were home to the most B Corp recognised businesses.
California leads the way with B Corp certification. The Golden State has by far the most B Corp businesses (388) – over double as many as New York who came next on the list.
New York ranks in second place with 173 B Corps, and Oregon ranks third close behind on 147. Colorado (113) and Massachusetts (72) round out the top five.
Some states have some catching up to do, however, with Alabama and Louisiana having just one B Corp each and Alaska, Arkansas and Rhode Island having just two B Corps per state.
These are top 10 states with the most B corps:
| Rank | State | Number of B Corp businesses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 388 |
| 2 | New York | 173 |
| 3 | Oregon | 147 |
| 4 | Colorado | 113 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 72 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 70 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 60 |
| 8 | Washington | 60 |
| 9 | Illinois | 41 |
| 10 | Vermont | 41 |
The sectors with the largest number of B Corps in the US
B Corps are being set up across a vast variety of industries across the world – but which sectors are fulfilling B Corps high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability the most?
Currently the top-performing sector for the number of B Corps is the food product industry with 136 businesses in this sector in the US having B Corp status.
Advertising & market research comes in second place with 105 businesses in this sector gaining B Corp certification. The investment advising sector come third with 86 businesses in the US achieving B Corp status.
These are the top five sectors for B Corps in the US:
| Rank | Industry | Number of B Corps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Food products | 136 |
| 2 | Advertising & market research | 105 |
| 3 | Investment advising | 86 |
| 4 | Professional, scientific & tech | 82 |
| 5 | Personal care products | 82 |
On the other end of the list? Our analysis revealed that a number of sectors have much less businesses recognised by B Corp. These include air transport, computer & electronic products, medical & dental supplies, newspapers & magazines and the travel agency sector.
How to incorporate more sustainable practices into your business
Are you looking to make your business more sustainable?
Whether you are looking to go down the B Corp certification route yourself, or simply wish to do your bit for this planet we all live on, there are a number of simple steps you can take to improve your businesses practices.
Here are Switch on Business’ top five tips to create a more sustainable, healthy, transparent and accountable business:
1) Reduce your carbon footprint
Ban single-use plastic in your office space. Reuse old envelopes and think about implementing refillable items such as print cartridges and soap dispensers. Have an open mind to anything that can be re-used rather than thrown away.
Having a clearly labeled recycling structure in your office is a good way to make sure employees know where to put their waste they can’t reuse.
2) Be aware of who you work with
Do the other companies you work with contribute to the economic and social well-being of the community in which it operates?
Many businesses work with other businesses in order to function. When contelpating which companies to work with, consider the values, ethics and sustainability of their company practices.
Any company you work with should reflect your ethics, from their sustainability efforts to their stance on diversity and equality.
3) Reduce your use
Be conscious of your office appliances. Ensure taps aren’t left running and that office dishwashers are only run when full. Many don’t realize that turning down the air conditioner by just one degree can decrease your energy usage considerably and help the environment.
Turn off everything when not in use – from lights, computers, printers and appliances. Aside from reducing your energy bills, it is actually good for the lifespan of your devices. Consider investing in cut-out switches and automatic lighting sensors.
If your company transports goods and employees around to various locations, opt for green energy providers and hybrid cars for your fleet vehicles.
4) Be as transparent as possible
If your company has a good mission and ethics behind it then being as transparent with your employees and the public will only serve you well.
Companies that promote inclusion through diverse hiring and take responsibility for their impact on the environment and world around them are becoming increasingly sought after by consumers.
Companies are then able to build a strong customer base backed by their own credibility.
5) Make sure your employees feel valued
Consider what your employees want out of their job, whether this is an opportunity to have their own steak in the company or evaluating your mental health and wellbeing services on offer. A good company should consider how it can contribute to their employees’ financial, physical, professional, and social well-being.
This is not only beneficial for the employees but the company itself as happy employees lead to better results for a company overall.
Visit Switch on Business for more advice about setting up a company in the US.
Sources and methodology:We have analyzed the available data on B corp businesses in the US to find out the number of B Corps in each US state, the number of B Corps per sector, and the businesses ranked highly for workers. We have also used the satisfaction rating of employees working at these B Corps based on Glassdoor reviews.
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