[Sdpg] Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps Win First Green Business Leader Award Coop America

Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson lakinroe at silcom.com
Mon Nov 24 13:01:40 PST 2003


NEWS RELEASE http://www.coopamerica.org/newsroom/releases/111203.htm
                           November 12, 2003
                           For Immediate Release Contact: Amanda Johnson
                           Co-op America; (202) 872-5344

                             Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps Win First Green 
Business Leader Award

                            Recognized for demonstrating outstanding 
leadership in advancing the
                                             Green Business Movement

                           SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Green Business Leader 
Award was given by
                           Co-op America's Business Network to Dr. 
Bronner's Magic Soaps at the first
                           annual Green Business Conference held November 
4th-7th in San Francisco.
                           The Green Business Leader Award was created to 
recognize an extraordinary
                           company or business leader that has led the way 
in creating a just and
                           sustainable society, and whose efforts are at 
the forefront of the green
                           business movement.

                           Co-op America, a national nonprofit consumer 
education organization for
                           environmentally responsible purchasing and 
investing, works with over 2,200
                           green businesses nationwide, and Dr. Bronner's 
was selected for the award
                           from these businesses, for its outstanding and 
long-time commitment to
                           socially and environmentally responsible 
business practices.

                           Alisa Gravitz, executive director of Co-op 
America, said, "This award
                           recognizes a business that exemplifies 
sustainable practices for many years.
                           While the Green Business Movement has 
increasingly reached a broader
                           consumer audience, -- with more and more 
consumers purchasing organic,
                           natural, and energy efficient products from 
responsible companies -- the
                           movement is where it is today only because of 
the hard work and dedication
                           of the movement leaders like Dr. Bronner's, and 
they deserve our recognition."

                           Five businesses were nominated for the award, 
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps,
                           Maggie's Organics, Organic Valley, Seventh 
Generation, and Thanksgiving
                           Coffee, and all are taking steps to further the 
green business movement. The
                           winner was chosen through a ballot process, with 
each person attending the
                           Green Business Conference getting one vote.

                           Dr. Bronner's was selected, due to their 
dedication not only to the movement,
                           but also to the environment and the community. 
For over 50 years Dr.
                           Bronner's has been making ecological soaps and 
recently introduced certified
                           organic oils. These often-called 'magic' soaps 
can be used for everyday
                           washing, dishwashing, laundry, toothpaste, and 
much more. David Bronner,
                           President of Dr. Bronner's said, "Coop America 
has been an inspiration for us
                           to become an ever more socially and ecologically 
responsible company.  All
                           of us at Dr. Bronner's are deeply honored to 
receive this award."
                           The award was crafted by Rivanna Natural 
Designs, a green company.

                           About Co-op America
                           Co-op America is the leading national nonprofit 
organization for responsible
                           consumer and business education.
                           Co-op America's Green Business Conference is a 
first-time gathering of
                           hundreds of environmentally and socially 
responsible companies from across
                           the country to work together to learn from each 
other and advance the green
                           business movement.

                           About Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps
                           Dr. Bronner's was founded with a commitment to 
providing healthy products
                           manufactured through socially and 
environmentally responsible means. Their
                           dedication to the green business movement can be 
seen all the way to the
                           top executive. David Bronner, President of Dr. 
Bronner's, is a board member of
                           both Vote Hemp and the HIA, and is the chair of 
the HIA's Food and Oil
                           Committee. David is the primary coordinator of 
the hemp industry's legal
                           battle with the DEA over the legality of hemp 
foods. He also is the primary
                           architect of the hemp industry's TestPledge program.

                           Dr. Bronner's joined over 400 other Co-op 
America business members in
                           signing the Co-op America WoodWise Pledge to 
reduce company impact on
                           forests. In the spirit of this pledge, their bar 
soap paper label and inner liner
                           are now a 10 percent hempflax and 90 percent 
post-consumer recycled blend.

                           Their work for the environment and the community 
also includes:

                                To support sustainable agriculture, farm 
worker health and ecological
                                processing methods, Dr. Bronner's bar soaps 
are now all made with
                                organic oils certified under the USDA's 
organic food regulations by
                                Oregon Tilth.
                                Dr. Bronner's qualifies for the Coalition 
for Consumer Information on
                                Cosmetics' rabbit and stars logo, which 
certifies, via independent audit,
                                that all ingredients are not tested on animals.
                                The Bronner family and company supports 
industrial hemp as a
                                sustainable crop, through efforts including 
Vote Hemp and the Hemp
                                Industries Association (HIA).
                                In the last five years, Dr. Bronner's 
charitable gifting to social and
                                environmental causes has roughly matched 
their total after-tax income.
                                They annually give profit sharing and 
bonuses totaling over $10,000 per
                                employee for warehouse positions.
                                Executive compensation is capped at five 
times that of the lowest-paid
                                position. Employees annually receive 15 
percent of salary paid into a
                                retirement/profit-sharing plan, up to 25 
percent of salary as a bonus,
                                and a no-deductible PPO health insurance 
plan for themselves and
                                their families.


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