45NRTH Is Now A Certified B Corporation
Posted by hkidston on 04/13/21
Last modified: 04/14/21
Our parent company, Quality Bicycle Products, is now a Certified B Corporation. All of us here at 45NRTH are proud to use our business as a force for good, and we’ll never stop chasing the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability in everything we do. Read the full statement from QBP below:
Quality Bicycle Products Achieves B Corp Certification
Quality Bicycle Products announced today that it is now certified as a B Corporation by the non-profit B Lab. Certified B Corporations are for-profit companies that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, in order to balance profit and purpose.
Like all B Corps, QBP is committed to reduce inequality, a healthier environment, stronger communities and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose.
“We’re excited and humbled that Q and our proprietary brands Salsa, Surly, All-City, 45NRTH, Teravail, MSW, and Whisky Parts Co. are together certified as a B Corp,” said Rich Tauer, Q President. “It reconfirms values and principles that have guided our company for 40 years, including: Act with integrity; Be a true partner; Keep the customer first; as well as our focus on environmental sustainability and community betterment.”
Q achieved certification following a rigorous assessment of its entire business, with grading focused on its impact upon employees, customers, community, and environment.
“We embrace B Corp certification less as recognition for what we already do, and more as a guide to be a better company for our employees, business partners, communities, and the environment,” said Tauer. “Recurring audits will help ensure we’re held accountable to the highest standards we aspire to, and we will publicly share our results.”
Speaking to the opportunity B Corp certification offers the bicycle community, Tauer believes in the power of partnership: “We seek to get every butt on a bike because this benefits individuals, businesses and the world,” he said, “By working together toward a shared vision, we will help solve our biggest environmental and social challenges.
“We’re proud to join the nearly 4,000 other B Corps throughout the world, including Chris King in the bicycle industry. We invite other businesses to consider whether B Corp certification is right for them, and we want to be a resource for those who seek it.”
Andy Fyfe, Growth Catalyst for B Lab US & Canada, highlighted Q’s opportunity by saying, “Through this certification, QBP reinforces its continued commitment to grow its environmental stewardship and positive impact alongside its business. We couldn’t be more excited to have them join the ranks of other B Corps committed to making a difference for people and planet and be a leader for others to follow in the cycling industry.”
Read more about B Corporations by clicking here:
About Quality Bicycle Products
Quality Bicycle Products works to advance bike communities and our industry so everyone can win. From developing our own compelling bicycle and accessory brands, to distributing the most comprehensive portfolio of top brands in the industry, to sparking advocacy efforts that increase ridership, Q serves as a common thread that weaves together retailers, suppliers, industry partners, and riders. With distribution centers in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Colorado, Vancouver, and Toronto, Q reaches a network of more than 5,000 independent retailers. As a certified B Corporation, we strive to be an extraordinary business partner and employer, and we have made good on that goal for nearly 40 years. For more information about Quality Bicycle Products, visit qbp.com.
About B Corporations™
Certified B Corporations are for-profit companies that use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. They meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. To date, there are almost 4,000 B Corps in 150 industries and 74 countries around the world.