Premier receives first Jan Roberts Sustainable Business Patron Award
TAMPA, Fla. (June 18, 2014) –In recognition of its longtime commitment to the “triple bottom line” –people, planet and profit –Premier Eye Care received the first Jan Roberts Sustainable Business Patron Award last week at the Sustainable Business Coalition’s annual Sustainable Business Awards.
Since 2008, the Sustainable Business Coalition, working in partnership with the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business, Center for Ethics, has honored for-profit businesses in the Tampa Bay area that are at the forefront of sustainable business practices.These businesses are leading the way in the 21stcentury business environment -successfully achieving strong financial results within an ethical framework that promotes social and environmental corporate responsibility.
The Sustainable Business Patron Award was created to honor a Tampa Bay area company that has demonstrated longstanding support for corporate sustainability initiatives, and Tampa-based Premier Eye Care was awarded the honor based on its commitment to sustainability initiatives in business decisions and strategies for 20 years.
“Sustainability is the foundation for successful business in today’s knowledge-based business environment,” said Premier CEO Lorna Taylor.“A company built on the DNA of sustainability -the triple bottom line -is a company based on best business practices.”
Fueled by high associate engagement, in the past year the company has increased revenue by 21 percent,has lowered health care costs by 4.5 percent thanks to wellness initiatives, has tripled its office space while reducing its carbon footprint by transitioning to a LEED Gold-certified office, and has given generously in time and resources to communities it serves through volunteerism and support of a variety of initiatives and organizations.
In a recent anonymous survey conducted by an independent third party, the company’s associates rated 97 percent in satisfaction and 100 percent in engagement.
“Associates are proud to be a part of a company that operates within an ethical framework of sustainability,” said Shari Basye, Premier’s VP of Operations.
Added COO Jason Panos: “This level of associate satisfaction and engagement is good for business as it leads to high performance, low turnover, and therefore significant cost containment and efficiencies.”
The Sustainable Business Coalition, formerly known as Earth Charter US, bases the criteria for its awards on the Earth Charter, a global declaration of universal responsibility for a sustainable future that offers an ethical framework for sustainability, and the Global Reporting Initiative, considered the international standard for measuring sustainable business.
The Coalition’s Sustainable Business Patron Award is named in honor of Jan Roberts, founder of Earth Charter US and the visionary behind the creation of the Sustainable Business Awards.
“It was Jan Roberts who first gave me a vocabulary for the commitments on which we have built Premier -the triple bottom line,” said Premier’s Taylor. “Jan is an important voice reminding us that the elimination of poverty, empowerment of women, protection of the earth, and ethical business practices are all inextricably linked in the sustainability movement.”
The June 13 event also featured the announcement of winners of the Sustainable Business Awards, given to companies that demonstrate sustainable business practices. The 2014winners were Regenerative Medicine Solutions, Landmarc Contracting Corp., Suncoast Food Alliance, The Refinery, Triad Cleaning Solutions, Bayshore Solutions and Elutions.
