NEW HAVEN, CONN. — Chabaso Bakery, a supplier of artisan breads to retailers and foodservice operators in the Northeast United States, is now a certified B Corporation. Charles Negaro Jr., chief executive officer of Chabaso, said many of the principles of B Corporation status align with Chabaso’s mission to not only be a top supplier of artisan bread in the Northeast but also a force for good, so it was only natural to pursue the certification. 

“This certification gives us a tool to be able to more easily describe what we do as a force for good to the broader community and our customers,” he said. 

B Corporation certification includes a rigorous assessment of nearly 300 questions to assess the impact a company’s operations and business has on workers, community, environment and customers. The certification provides companies wanting to make a positive impact on the world a picture of how they are doing as well as a road map of where they can improve. 

“Much like BRC or SQF improve our quality processes and operations, B Corp does the same thing for not only our culture but our entire company,” Mr. Negaro said.

Chabaso’s culture in many ways already focused on making a positive impact in the world, all the way back to the company’s founding by Mr. Negaro’s father. Over the years, Chabaso has featured a parking lot urban garden that evolved into a diabetes prevention program and made bread donations to food banks and charities. Recently the company partnered with resettlement agencies to employ refugees as they start their new lives in the United States.

Not only does B Corp certification help Chabaso quantify and measure its social impact goals, but it also helps the bakery position itself to customers and employees as a mission-driven company. 

“Our hope is that this improves our employer brand and helps us continue to attract high-quality talent that is looking for a mission-driven employer,” said Reed Immer, director of sales and marketing, Chabaso. “Increasingly with our wholesale customers there is an interest in corporate-level sustainability.”

As the company moves forward in the next three years of its certification, Mr. Negaro said the company will be integrating its B Corp goals into the company’s annual planning. 

“We want these goals to be a part of what we do, not just something we do for B Corp,” he said. 

As a supporter of emerging food brands in Connecticut through its CT Food Launchpad project, Chabaso also aims to be an example to emerging companies interested in B Corporation certification.

“We’re hoping to share some of the learnings with how this has helped us as a manufacturer to help emerging companies pursue this path if they want to,” Mr. Immer said. “We want to be a leading example and provide a positive ripple throughout the region.”