South East's leading hygiene supplier awarded prestigious B Corp status

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Wightman & Parrish, a leading independent supplier of hygiene and healthcare products, has been awarded B Corp certification after demonstrating excellence in governance and ethical business practices. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the South East company established in 1915 and sets a new standard for the hygiene supply market in the UK.

B Corp status is a globally recognised certification that measures a company’s social and environmental performance across five specific areas of impact: governance, community, employees, environment and customers. The average B Impact Assessment score for businesses completing the assessment is 50.9 points, meaning they do not achieve B Corp status. Wightman and Parrish attained an impressive score of 87.4 in their assessment, far exceeding the qualifying threshold of 80 points – a testament to the measured but meticulous approach the company took to their preparation.

In achieving B Corp status, the company joins a respected and prestigious community of just 2,300 UK businesses that have exhibited the highest possible standards of performance, transparency and accountability. It is believed that Wightman & Parrish are currently the only UK hygiene supplies company to hold both B Corp and EcoVadis Gold accreditations. They are also part of global distribution network INPACS, which operates in more than 50 countries around the world and has turnover of more than €4 billion.

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With stringent assessment criteria that covers every aspect of a business from its supply chain and materials to employee benefits, preparing for B Corp certification is one of the most comprehensive and rigorous processes a company can undertake.

Managing Director Nicholas Parrish is presented with the B Corp award at the Houses of Parliament by MP for Lewes James MacCleary.Managing Director Nicholas Parrish is presented with the B Corp award at the Houses of Parliament by MP for Lewes James MacCleary.
Managing Director Nicholas Parrish is presented with the B Corp award at the Houses of Parliament by MP for Lewes James MacCleary.

Managing Director Nicholas Parrish explains: “It was never merely about meeting a requirement; we recognised the need to implement significant, lasting changes to our processes and procedures - integrating them permanently into the foundation of our business. We first looked into it ten years ago (starting with BS5750 certifications, then progressing through EcoVadis Bronze, Silver and Gold) which helped us understand how much work we needed to do. We’ve amended our Business Articles (which required a shareholder vote), installed solar panels, introduced rainwater harvesting, switched to electric delivery vehicles, and now monitor the air quality at our premises – no mean feat for a company of our size.”

He continues: “We’re really proud to have achieved the certification; it reflects the hard work of everyone in the business. We genuinely want to use the standards set out by the B Corp certification to develop a better business for our customers, our people, our suppliers and our environment.”

Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, says: “We are delighted to welcome Wightman & Parrish to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies that are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Wightman & Parrish is going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.”

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To retain B Corp status, companies must reapply every three years – and recertification is set to become harder than initially attaining the status. Nicholas is upbeat, however: “The changes we made to achieve this status have been firmly embedded into our day-to-day activities – they’re now permanent fixtures of our business ethos and we remain committed to continuously monitoring and assessing our impact across the five key areas, striving for ongoing improvement.”

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