Following a rigorous certification process, Tillamook County Creamery Association (Tillamook) is now recognized as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp). Tillamook qualified for the prestigious B Corp distinction by 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, 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 care for our cows and farms, our people and products, our communities and the environment.”
Snyder adds that as a stakeholder-driven business, the B Corp third-party validation reflects how Tillamook values environmental, social and governance metrics just as much as other business metrics.
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, including 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 the highly selective B Corp certification, Tillamook responded to 220 questions in the key impact areas along with 58 additional disclosure questions. More than 90 percent 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. Tillamook is proud to join other B Corps such as Patagonia, Tom’s Shoes and Bombas, as well as Oregon-based Stumptown Coffee, Rogue Creamery and New Seasons Market.
“We welcome Tillamook to a worldwide family of businesses that consistently balance purpose and profit,” said Stephanie Ryan, Community Development at B Lab US & Canada. “Tillamook now joins a dynamic community of leaders who are committed to using business as a force for good.”
Key to achieving B Corp certification are Tillamook’s well-established stewardship commitments that guide the co-op’s daily actions related to:
- Thriving farms
- Healthful cows
- Inspired consumers
- Enduring ecosystems
- Fulfilled employees
- 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 & Community Impact, 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.”
Five years ago, people would have found Tillamook cheese, ice cream and other premium dairy products primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Today, Tillamook products can be found throughout the country. The B Corp certification logo will eventually appear on all Tillamook brand packaging so consumers throughout the country know what the Tillamook brand stands for.
“Our farmer-owners built this co-op with a long-term outlook to ensure that farms and communities are here for generations to come. In recent years — as evidenced by the B Corp certification — we have doubled down on our commitment to stewardship and formalized it by developing a Stewardship charter and establishing policies and programs that have integrated this work in all aspects of our business and expansion efforts,” said Bridson.
Tillamook reported to B Impact Assessment Version 6, the most recent and rigorous survey to date, and will hold B Corp certification for three years before being required to go through a renewal process. The B Impact Assessment is updated every three years to improve the clarity, consistency and insight of the assessment and its scoring, stay up to date with best practices and innovations in impact measurement and accommodate ongoing user and stakeholder feedback. Tillamook expects that the next version will be even more challenging than the initial certification. Not all who pursue B Corp standing earn the recognition, and in fact, B Corp reports that the average score among companies is 50.
“We see our B Corp certification as a milestone — not an end zone,” said Snyder. “We are committed to ongoing progress, while living up to the remarkably high standards set not only by B Corps, but by Tillamook itself.”
