Attaining Certified B Corporation Status
Why LA NPDT Has Become a B Corp, and Why Your Organization Should Consider It Too
In December 2023, LA New Product Development Team (LA NPDT) received certification as a B Corporation, a company which has pledged to provide public and environmental benefit, in addition to pursuing profit and good business practices. Worldwide, over 8,000 companies have become B Corporations, and LA NPDT is one of the first in the product development sector. But what exactly is a B Corp, how can an organization become one, and what are the benefits of certification? Read on to learn more about this exciting trend which marries corporate benefit with social responsibility.
What is a B Corp?
Since 2006, B Corp certification has been awarded by B Lab, a non-profit organization based in Pennsylvania which is dedicated to the reshaping of corporate practices. The ‘B’ in B Corp certification stands for ‘beneficial’, and at its core, becoming a B Corp means that the organization has pledged to prioritize activities beyond the maximization of profits.
B Lab provides certification to companies which meet their rigorous evaluation process for responsibility in five areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. Companies must score a minimum of 80 points (out of a possible 200) in order to qualify. Prospective B Corps must also outline their intentions for social and environmental good, submit to evaluations of their corporate records and occasional site visits, and renew their certification every 3 years. There is a nominal annual charge for becoming and remaining certified, based upon the company’s level of profit.[1]
How is a B Corp different than a Benefit Corporation?
B Corp certification does not impose legal requirements or require a company to change its organizational structure. Rather, it is a public pledge to provide benefit via corporate activity, measured against a third-party evaluation of how effectively the company’s purpose and goals are being realized. B Corp certification should be distinguished from the legal status of a benefit corporation, which in the United States is a type of corporate entity which explicitly identifies in its bylaws the prioritization of activities not related to profit.[2] Benefit corporations are legally-recognized in 36 US States, and many B Corp-certified companies go on to become benefit corporations, with the certification being a step in the process toward legal reorganization.
In contrast to a B Corp, a benefit corporation expands the fiduciary duty of the company’s officers to consider the effects of the company’s activities for non-stakeholders. This is both a requirement, and an empowerment, as it protects companies from bad-faith lawsuits alleging they have not maximized profits at all times and to the exclusion of all other activities. From a taxation standpoint, benefit corporations are classified as either C corporations or S corporations, but have the added advantage of receiving tax reduction for charitable contributions the company may make as part of its benefit-focused mission.
As part of its mission, B Lab has promoted the nationwide adoption of benefit corporation legislation, and encourages B Corp certification recipients to reorganize as benefit corporations, if it is legal to do so in their state.[3]
What are the benefits of becoming a B Corp?
Once certified, a B Corp will receive the right to identify using the B Corp indica on their products and official communications, and can also join B Lab’s global network of certified businesses, many of which provide discounts and collaborative opportunities to one another. Companies which have met B Lab’s standards can use the certification to indicate to the public their commitment for social and environmental good, thus building good will and encouraging customers to choose them over competitors.
In a 2019 data research project commissioned by AFLAC, 77% of American consumers and 73% of investors were strongly motivated to select companies dedicated to making the world a better place via environmental and / or socially responsible practices. Furthermore, more Americans felt it was more important for a company to “make the world a better place” than it was for it to “make money for its shareholders” (49% to 37%).[4] These numbers become even more substantial when considering Millennial and Gen Z consumers. In a 2023 survey commissioned by Tom’s of Maine, 80% of young consumers said they select which companies to buy from based upon their mission, purpose, and stated goals. The survey’s organizers identified B Corp certification status as a key way for consumers to identify such companies.[5] Finally, B Lab itself has conducted surveys demonstrating a strong consumer awareness of the B Lab certification indica and meaning; a 2022 survey indicated that 37% of American consumers, and 31% of Canadian consumers, were aware of the B Corp indication and meaning on products, while 63% specifically purchased from companies because of their certification.[6]
Some of the world’s most respected and socially-forward companies have become B Corp certified, stressing their commitment to environmental and socially-conscious action. These firms include Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Seventh Generation, The Body Shop, Danone, Divine Chocolate, Allbirds, PortAventura Entertainment Theme Parks, Meow Wolf, Coursera, Kickstarter, and Better World Books.[7]
Why has LA NPDT become a B Corp?
Since our foundation, LA NPDT has been focused on the dual goals of empowering inventors and entrepreneurs who might not otherwise have access to quality product development services, and to create new products in a sustainable and responsible manner. This desire led us to create 3D-printed healthcare supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic,[8] to support and develop connections between local entrepreneurs,[9] and to maintain close relationships with Louisiana’s leading technical educational institution.[10] As our business has continued to grow, so too has our commitment to achieving the societal benefits we’ve long sought to create in our community and beyond.
Becoming a certified B Corp is not only a step toward publicly affirming that commitment, but also toward encouraging entrepreneurs and product creators to consider the public benefits inherent in their own actions. Our enterprise is the creation of new things for the world – and it’s important that these creations provide not only life improvement and convenience for users and consumers, but aid the planet as a whole. We therefore hope our adoption of B Corp principles in management and development will lead our partners, present and future, toward working with us to create sustainable and genuinely helpful products that will benefit all people.
How has LA NPDT scored on the B Corp evaluation?
In our first year of certification, we are pleased to have earned a score of 96.8 on the B Corp evaluation scale.[11] Our strongest areas are Workers and Environment, with a particularly high score for workforce development. Since the start of LA NPDT, we have emphasized the advancement of opportunities for our employees and partners; after all, our founders established the company as enterprising engineering students. Looking forward, LA NPDT seeks to continue to improve our impact in the environmental and sustainability focal areas, in part through the selection of the products we choose to develop, as well as through our business practices and prototyping / production. We also are strongly committed to further aiding the development and improvement of our Northern Louisiana community and its stakeholders.
How has LA NPDT helped companies and organizations seeking environmental and social good?
Among the partners we have aided in sustainable environmental practices are the skincare products company Gelato for Your Face, for which we developed the product’s eco-friendly packaging and cases.[12] We also participated in the design of the Evera Bottle, a fully-reusable beverage container which includes utensils; each bottle is estimated to prevent over 1,000 single-use items from reaching landfills annually.[13] In both cases, the entrepreneurs who came to us were local to our operations. Gelato for Your Face founders Vanessa Lyon and Carlos Calderón approached us from our Miami offices, developing and launching their business while raising a young son, while Evera Bottle’s founder Steffek Rainey started his company as a Louisiana student, working with us to develop the bottle from scratch. Both these products have gone on to receive recognition for their environmentally-sensitive and waste-reducing designs.
LA NPDT does not merely focus on environmental sustainability. We have also focused on human sustainability, ensuring communities can bounce back after disasters. The Cajun Navy Ground Force, a volunteer aid organization which responds to natural disasters throughout the American South, worked with LA NPDT to create the designs of their renowned SAFE Camps, which have been set up in parking lots and other open areas after disasters to distribute aid quickly. LA NPDT’s visual designs for the SAFE Camp concept helped the Cajun Navy receive a substantial grant from the Walmart Foundation, which in turn allowed them to implement the concept.[14] In 2022, in the wake of Hurricane Ian, the Cajun Navy rolled out the SAFE Camps in force, distributing over $265,000 worth of aid each day per location.[15]
These endeavors are a start, but by no means an end, to what LA NPDT seeks to do in the coming years. Having earned our B Corp certification, we look to continue to grow our impact and seek opportunities to work with new product creators and community organizations with similar commitment.
How will LA NPDT’s B Corp status impact the future of American product development?
LA NPDT is one of the first product design companies in America to receive certified B Corp status. We hope that this public commitment will encourage other companies in our industry to follow suit by placing public good at the same level of corporate importance as profit. Every year, thousands of new products reach the marketplace worldwide, but many are not created with the long-term future of our planet and our local communities in mind. Products, like companies, are often focused on short-term gains and benefits, while overlooking longer-term consequences. As a certified B Corp, we aim to counteract that trend with the products we create, working one product at a time to effect meaningful change.
Moreover, we hope that by becoming a B Corp, we will attract likeminded designers, entrepreneurs, inventors, and future employees to seek us out and work with us. From envisioning the products of tomorrow, to the selection of manufacturing materials, the treatment of stakeholders, the selection of responsible partners, the production of packaging, and the marketing and accessibility of finalized items, we aim to place sustainability and social good at the forefront of all we will do from this point on, as designers and as a company.
We hope this explanation of the certified B Corp movement will encourage you to consider ways you, or your organization, can make a difference in the world. If you have a product to develop, or an idea you wish to bring to life, we encourage you to reach out to us and to turn your vision into reality in a responsible and beneficial way.
REferences
- [1] B Corporation – About B Corp Certification
- [2] Cornell Law Review – Benefit Corporations: A Proposal for Assessing Liability in Benefit Enforcement Proceedings (May 2018)
- [3] Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania – B Lab’s Bart Houlahan: Building More Socially Responsible Companies (11/7/12)
- [4] AFLAC – 2019 AFLAC CSR Survey
- [5] New York Post – Most Gen Z and Millennials base purchases on a brand’s mission: poll (8/22/23)
- [6] B Lab – 5 Key Takeaways About B Corp Brand Awareness (11/16/22)
- [7] B Corporation – Find a B Corp
- 8] Silicon Bayou News – Louisiana Businesses 3D Printing Supplies for Healthcare Workers (3/27/20)
- [9] Tech to Market – Tech to Market Main Page
- [10] Ruston Daily Leader – Tech Pointe II has arrived (10/15/23)
- [11] B Corporation – LA New Product Development Team
- [12] LA NPDT – Gelato for Your Face Product Guide
- [13] LA NPDT – Evera Bottle Product Guide
- [14] LA NPDT – Cajun Navy SAFE Camp Realization Guide
- [15] AccuWeather – Cajun Navy Ground Force giving away incredible amounts of supplies to Hurricane Ian survivors (video) (10/4/22)
LA New Product Development Team is a comprehensive product development firm, offering services ranging from idea generation and product design to manufacturing and marketing. LANPDT collaborates with startups and established businesses to transform concepts into market-ready innovations.
Awards & Recognitions
Up City
Top Product Design
Company in the US
Core77
Top Product Development
Company in USA
Innovation Canada
Multiple Gold Medals
and Invention Design Awards
99 Firms
Leading Industrial
Design Company
Inc. 5000
Fastest Growing Product
Development Company
Entrepreneur 360
Top Product Design
Company in the US
CORE PAGES
TOP SERVICES
TOOLS
EDUCATION
GET IN TOUCH
- Tel.: +1 318-200-0526
- Email: hello@lanpdt.com
- Address: 419 Dan Reneau Dr, Ruston, LA 71270
- Contact Form
- Schedule a Consultation
LA New Product Development Team © Since 2015
Born in Louisiana, making impact worldwide.
Receive PDP Example
Please submit your contact info to receive an example of a new product development plan.
Thank you for choosing LA New Product Development Team for your New Product development plan.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for choosing LA New Product Development Team for your Prior Art Search.
Please fill out the form to submit your order.
Upon successful payment, you will receive an email with a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and a questionnaire regarding your product idea.
Your privacy and security are paramount to us, so rest assured that your information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.
Step 1: Fill in your contact and billing details.
Step 2: Review your order summary.
Step 3: Submit payment.
After your payment is processed, please check your email for the NDA and questionnaire. Completing these documents promptly will allow us to start your Prior Art Search without delay.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for choosing LA New Product Development Team for your Prior Art Search.
Please fill out the form to submit your order.
Upon successful payment, you will receive an email with a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and a questionnaire regarding your product idea.
Your privacy and security are paramount to us, so rest assured that your information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.
Step 1: Fill in your contact and billing details.
Step 2: Review your order summary.
Step 3: Submit payment.
After your payment is processed, please check your email for the NDA and questionnaire. Completing these documents promptly will allow us to start your Prior Art Search without delay.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for choosing LA New Product Development Team for your Prior Art Search.
Please fill out the form to submit your order.
Upon successful payment, you will receive an email with a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and a questionnaire regarding your product idea.
Your privacy and security are paramount to us, so rest assured that your information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.
Step 1: Fill in your contact and billing details.
Step 2: Review your order summary.
Step 3: Submit payment.
After your payment is processed, please check your email for the NDA and questionnaire. Completing these documents promptly will allow us to start your Prior Art Search without delay.
If you have any questions or need assistance with your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us.