C.F. Martin & Co. Earns B Corp Certification

C.F. Martin & Co.® (Martin Guitar) has become the first company in the musical instruments industry to receive B Corp certification, on Sept. 1, 2018. This certification recognizes companies that use business as a force for good, meeting the highest standards of positive impact on society and the environment, focusing just as much on people and the planet as they do on profit.

“I am personally very proud of our B Corporation certification,” said Chris Martin, Chairman and CEO of C.F. Martin & Co. “Being the sixth generation of Martin to have the privilege of running my family business, I have always thought that corporate culture, used appropriately, can be a significant competitive advantage. Our partnership with B Lab and the community of Certified B Corporations will make us a better business in a very holistic way.”

B Corp launched in 2006. To date, there are over 2,500 B Corp certified companies worldwide, including Ben & Jerry’s, Athleta, Patagonia, and Seventh Generation. To earn the certification, C.F. Martin & Co. completed a process conducted by B Lab, the governing body of B Corp certification, which looked at over 170 different factors, examining Martin’s customers and vendors, its record of inclusion, its involvement in the community, its corporate governance, and its environmental impact. Things like average employee tenure, amount of charitable giving, energy savings plans, recycling policies, employee volunteer service, and upward mobility are all assessed.