Month: June 2023

What is your organization’s employee purpose iQ?

Host Carol Cone is joined by Wendy Salomon, Managing Director of Reputation & Corporate Strategy at The Harris Poll, to walk you through this first-of-its-kind tool to measure the success of your organization’s purpose. EPiQ, or Employee Purpose iQ, is an analysis of strengths and opportunities to activate your company’s purpose with employees—backed by a custom roadmap to drive growth.

Based on a survey of an organization’s employees, and using a succinct set of targeted metrics exploring Credibility, Talent, and Activation, EPiQ helps organizations understand and diagnose where purpose is not optimized while identifying efficient strategies to move the organization forward.

Listen for insights on:

The EPiQ score and how it’s measuredThe specific areas for growth the EPiQ dashboard pinpointsHow the EPiQ dashboard can inform investment and strategy decisionsThe long-term impact of knowing and advancing your employee purpose iQ

To listen to this episode and others, visit Purpose 360 Podcast.

WALTHAM, Mass., and NEW YORK. / 3BL Media/ – National Grid has been recognized as one of ‘America’s Best Large Employers’ by Forbes. The Company was also recognized in 2022 on the lists of ‘Best Employers for Veterans’ and ‘Best Employers for New Grads.’

“This recognition underscores that we are living our values and seen as an employer of choice,” said Natalie Edwards, Chief Diversity Officer, National Grid. “Ensuring our people are supported and empowered to learn and grow in their careers has always been central to our work. We are determined to continue enhancing the employee experience for our diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture that drives innovation.”

National Grid is committed to creating a work environment where employees feel valued for their skills, backgrounds, expertise, and insights. Employees receive equitable benefits and have access to a range of Employee Resource Groups and volunteer activities; training and professional development opportunities; and safety, health, and wellness resources and programs.

About the Ranking 

Forbes and market research firm Statista compiled the America’s Best Employers 2023 list through an independent and anonymous survey taken by approximately 45,000 American employees working for companies with more than 1,000 employees in their U.S. operations.

Employees spanning 25 industry sectors were asked to rate their employer on specific criteria, including salary and wages, company image, advancement opportunities, and workplace safety. Respondents were also asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family, as well as other companies in their respective industries.

To see the full list of recipients, visit Forbes.com.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.

Media Contacts

Emily Demarest 
Massachusetts 
(781) 907-3980

Send an email

The KeyBank Foundation has awarded Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc. a $175,000 grant in support of the newly opened The Academy at the Goodwill Bendix Campus. The Academy provides skilled trades technical training and serves the counties of La Porte, Elkhart and St. Joseph.

The Academy gives students the opportunity to work side by side with trainees, as well as be a source for job interviews and potential positions within their companies. With local manufacturing partnerships in place, Goodwill is helping bridge the gap between the talent pool looking to earn a living wage and businesses seeking qualified individuals.

“We are so excited that classes have begun at The Academy, and students are now going into skilled trade positions where they can expect to make good money. Our goal is to provide training opportunities for in demand skilled trade jobs in our community,” said Debie Coble, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Michiana, Inc.

The Academy at the Goodwill Bendix Campus will serve nontraditional students seeking to further their education with technical training. The Academy provides skilled trades training and nationally recognized certifications in automotive, construction, welding, CNC manufacturing, and offers classes in digital skills and customer service and sales training – all at no cost to the students. An average student would be unemployed or underemployed pursuing the opportunity to increase income and gain technical skills within an accelerated time frame.

“At Key, we’re passionate about removing barriers to employment and strengthening individuals through education and training,” said Seth Keirns, KeyBank Northern Indiana Market President. “We’re incredibly proud to support Goodwill and the transformative work they’re doing to meet the needs of the community and job market.”

Since 2017, KeyBank has made community investments supporting low to moderate income individuals and neighborhoods totaling more than $105 million in Northern Indiana. This involves lending for affordable housing, small businesses, mortgage and home improvements as well as transformative philanthropy.

ABOUT KEYBANK

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $198 billion at March 31, 2023.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF MICHIANA

Goodwill Industries of Michiana strengthens communities by empowering individuals and families through education, training and job placement. The organization serves 16 Indiana counties and operates over 24 retail locations, with charter schools for adults, a maternal-child health program, a childcare center, and workforce development programs such as veteran’s services and group violence intervention.

This year, Sappi has further developed our portfolio of products to provide our customers with dynamic papers, packaging and textiles without a steep environmental cost. We pride ourselves on our ability to raise the bar with innovation. From biodegradable kitchen tools to high-quality brochures, we strive to forge new paths in a variety of industries. For Sappi, advancing our customer base helps make every day more sustainable.

Spectro® and Proto® shine in new samples

Sappi’s Spectro is a paperboard that features enhanced optics and the most consistent side-to-side printing surface in its category. Proto is an SBS paperboard certified for direct food contact and offers the durability and superior convertibility customers can count on. A range of samples were created to showcase the printing versatility of these paperboards and the many verticals with which they are capable of engaging. This includes beauty, luxury foods and houseware packaging. These packaging samples were very well received at conferences such as Pack Expo International, and we are excited to continue venturing into new markets.

Holiday kit shows care with McCoy®, Spectro and LusterCote® 

Each holiday kit we send out highlights Sappi’s paper capabilities while serving as a reminder for customers that striking, memorable gift packaging can be sustainable. This kit featured cards, gift tags and gift boxes for any occasion printed on Spectro, and a sheet of metallic envelope seal stickers printed using McCoy, all packaged in a box lined with LusterCote C1S for recipients to enjoy with their loved ones. Each component featured embossed imagery, metallic accents and several box closures, demonstrating the durability and flexibility of our paper offerings.

Brochures for health and beauty verticals 

Sappi North America took another step into the health and beauty industries with new marketing materials printed on Spectro C2S paper. These brochures offer information about our paperboard offerings, which can benefit brands looking to meet consumers’ preferences for renewable solutions. As global innovators, we are uniquely positioned to detail the benefits of our products while showing their quality through tactile experiences.

Swedish dish towels make every day more sustainable 

Our biodegradable dish towels are made using dissolving pulp to offer an alternative to paper towels, sponges and traditional, plastic-based dish cloths. Customers may be surprised to discover that, unlike disposable paper towels, there is a reusable product that is also made using the power of trees. This product further displays Sappi’s versatility in various markets that service everything from large-scale operations to a spill in the kitchen.

A calendar that leaves a lasting impression 

Printed on McCoy Silk and Spectro C1S, this calendar allows recipients to experience the Sappi difference firsthand. These foldable wall calendars were created to meet the needs of customers who have extensive work schedules and need to plan several months at a time. Our premium line of McCoy products touts unrivaled luminosity, allowing for bolder contrasts and vivid imagery. Each calendar demonstrates that it is possible to have beautifully designed paper products that are also mindful of the environment.

Spring/Summer 2023 Texture & Trend Kit 

Our seasonal texture and trend forecast showcases Sappi’s textile offerings in a variety of colors and finishes. It is geared toward development, design, sourcing and production teams eager to ensure that their upcoming product lines are on target for consumers and brands around the world. These swatch collections keep Sappi on the pulse of the fashion and textile industries, further positioning us as global leaders across verticals.

EcoVadis Methodology Provides Common Foundation for Companies to Drive Supply Chain Risk Management, Due Diligence and Positive Impact

PARIS and NEW YORK , June 20, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Companies across the globe, of all sizes and maturity, continue to improve their sustainability performance and build upon ongoing progress to implement positive sustainable practices across their value chains. This insight and more are found in the seventh edition of the Business Sustainability Index, published today by business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis.

This year’s Index is based on the sustainability performance data derived from more than 62,000 companies assessed by EcoVadis between 2018 and 2022 across four themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. The EcoVadis network has seen a 134% increase in assessments since 2018 as the awareness surrounding supply chain due diligence grows and more organizations begin to assess and monitor their suppliers.

Over half (54%) of the companies were assessed multiple times between 2018 and 2022. These companies are more likely to fall into EcoVadis’ highest performance scoring categories of Advanced (65+) or Outstanding (85+), with 12% now achieving those scores. Overall, the global average score for companies is now at 50.3, crossing the halfway mark for the first time.

After years of declining or flat score trends, Sustainable Procurement topped all themes in yearly gains, increasing 1.7 points to 40.6 since 2021. This suggests that more companies are implementing practical strategies to mitigate risk and drive meaningful sustainable change throughout their value chains. Sustainable Procurement is crucial to building organizational resilience, mitigating risk and cascading a company’s sustainability values and goals throughout the upstream value chain.

“Companies who work with their value chain on a ratings and improvement cycle can comply with due diligence regulations and manage risks by helping their suppliers move above the risk zone, as well as enable solid performers to reach more advanced levels that contribute to sustainability, net-zero and other ESG goals,” said Sylvain Guyoton, Chief Rating Officer at EcoVadis. “It is particularly encouraging to see companies progress on the Sustainable Procurement theme as it is the most powerful lever available for driving positive environmental and social change.”

Other key Index findings include:

Rating Improvement Cycle Helps Companies Improve Beyond Risk Range: The proportion of reassessed companies scoring below 45 dropped by half between 2018 and 2022. This indicates that more companies are embarking on the continuous ratings and improvement cycle, which is helping them rise out of the risk range. Additionally, the proportion of higher performing reassessed companies at the Advanced level reached 28%, up from 10% in 2018.Consistent Improvement Across Themes: Labor & Human Rights increased by 0.7 points since 2021 to 53.3, the highest theme score in the Index. The Environment theme increased 1.5 points since 2021 with large companies leading the way. The Ethics theme increased 1.0 points since 2021 to 47.9, with momentum slowing compared to the years before.Small and Midsize Enterprises (SMEs) Forge Ahead: Much of the global average sustainability performance score improvement has been fueled by SMEs. Small companies improved the most, gaining 6.9 points between 2018-2022, followed by medium enterprises with a 5.6-point gain, and large companies improving by 3.3 points.Industries Surpassing the Halfway Mark: Six out of nine industries crossed the 50-point threshold by 2022. Finance, Legal and Consulting increased 7.0 points since 2018 (highest overall average of 53.9) and leads with 19% of Advanced performers. Construction (52.0) and Heavy Manufacturing (51.9) follow, improving by 6.0 and 5.6 points respectively. Construction stood out as the only industry in 2022 with more than 1% of its companies reaching the Outstanding level.

To view this year’s full study, as well as create custom views of specific sectors, geographies, and themes, visit the EcoVadis Business Sustainability Index and Impact resource center.

###

About EcoVadis

EcoVadis is a purpose-driven company whose mission is to provide the world’s most trusted business sustainability ratings. Businesses of all sizes rely on EcoVadis’ expert intelligence and evidence-based ratings to monitor and improve the sustainability performance of their business and trading partners. Its actionable scorecards, benchmarks, carbon action tools, and insights guide an improvement journey for environmental, social and ethical practices across 200 industry categories and 175 countries. Industry leaders such as Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, Unilever, LVMH, Bridgestone, BASF and JPMorgan are among the 100,000 businesses that collaborate with EcoVadis to drive resilience, sustainable growth and positive impact worldwide. Learn more on ecovadis.com, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Press Inquiries

US: Corporate Ink for EcoVadis

617-969-9192, ecovadis@corporateink.com