From the outside, we may look like your standard manufacturer of cladding and fabricated products, but if you take a step inside our premises, you’ll find fantastic things are happening.
This March, thousands of businesses are celebrating B Corp Month, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to share what we’re doing to make BTS a better place, as we strive to become B Corp certified.
This year’s theme is “We go beyond”, so here are a few ways we’re going above and beyond to make our company a place where people really want to work.
What is B Corp?
First up, though, let’s explain what B Corp is. B Corp is a certification companies can gain by B Lab if they meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
Essentially, B Corp businesses have joined a movement to transform our economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.
Carbon neutrality
One of the main things we’ve done to become a better business is go carbon neutral. Last year, we hired BlueMarble to evaluate our emissions, and we then decided to offset our carbon to a windfarm in Turkey.
This is only short-term, though. By 2030, we’d like to be fully self-sufficient by using solar and wind energy. At this point, we will also have procedures in place to ensure our supply chain are following the same environmentally friendly practices.
In addition to this, we’re implementing smaller practices to protect the planet too, like using electric cars, using electric lighting, using energy monitoring software and putting our team on environmental courses.
Putting our team first
At BTS, our team come first and are at the heart of everything we do, from making decisions to winning awards – our success is down to them and it’s only fair they reap the benefits, that’s why we practice the stakeholder model.
Over one year ago, we implemented the ‘BTS Forum’, which consists of an elected team member from each department. The forum meet on a monthly basis with senior members of staff basis to share their ideas and concerns.
As a result of this forum, we have introduced the four-day working week, to ensure our team members have an improved work-life balance.
Additionally, we’re also looking into profit-related pay, so each and every team member is rewarded for BTS’ success.
Community
The BTS forum are also responsible for choosing our BTS’ two chosen charities and coming up with ideas on how to fundraise for them.
Last year we supported Cancer Research and the Great North Air Ambulance Service; our team raised over £10,000 for the charities through taking part in the Great North Run, hosting a golf day and putting on charity bake sales. 
We also work very closely with the team at The Employability Trust, to give people in our community an opportunity to gain essential skills to secure full-time employment.
Ethics
So, not only are we looking after the planet, our team and our wider community, we’re also making sure our materials are ethically sourced.
Going forwards, we’re auditing our supply chain to guarantee they have ethical approaches and policies like our own, including an anti-slavery policy.
It doesn’t stop there, though, we are also following policies on ethical social media marketing too!
