Elgin - Scottish cashmere specialist Johnstons of Elgin has been awarded B Corp status in recognition of its efforts to reduce its social and environmental impacts.
B Corporations, of which there are more than 6,700 globally, are subjected to rigorous assessments which measure efforts across five impact areas - governance, workers, customers, community and environment.
Johnstons CEO Chris Gaffney said: "The team at Johnstons of Elgin have done great work to get us to the point where we could meet the rest of the stringent criteria required to become a B Corp, and this, in turn, has made us a better company.
"There remains much work to do, but it is very fulfilling as a chief executive and a board to be so clearly empowered by our family owners to make decisions that will continue us on a journey to becoming a fully sustainable company."
Johnstons Cashmere's knitting plant is part of a group first established in Elgin, Scotland in 1797. While the weaving side of the business is still located in Elgin, knitwear production takes place in Hawick. The company specialises in the manufacture of knitwear and accessories knitted in cashmere and other luxury fibres. With its own spinning and yarn dyeing in Elgin, Johnstons is one of the few vertical mills still operating in Scotland.
The huge range of products offered by Johnstons is where the company scores heavily with buyers. Traditional knitwear is supplemented with a whole host of luxury cashmere accessories such as gloves, socks, scarves, long johns, ponchos and hats.
While the plant in Hawick was originally built around traditional fully fashioned frames, but now operates a bank of Shima Seiki flat knitting machines, including a number of SWG short-bed machines, which can knit a wide range of WHOLEGARMENT accessories.
The B Corp certification process – executed by B Lab – entails a deep dive into the DNA of a company or organisation to understand how they routinely operate.
The median score for businesses – not exclusive to the fashion sector – is around 50, although a firm must surpass the 80-point threshold to attain certification.
Only a limited number of fashion industry stakeholders have secured B Corp status, including Patagonia, Berghaus, Vestiaire Collective and Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS).
Gaffney added: "Our workforce and our communities have always been central to our business. And it makes us very proud to achieve B Corp status in the same year we celebrate our 225th anniversary.
"Becoming a B Corp requires a commitment to a legal change to reflect the importance of looking after people and the planet, as well as profit, the 'triple bottom line'.
"Johnstons of Elgin have therefore changed our articles so that the company is run for the benefit of its members as a whole and through its business and operations, to have a material positive impact on society and the environment."
