Most Ethical
Ventura-based outdoor-apparel manufacturer Patagonia; Beaverton, Ore.–based footwear and activewear giant Nike; and Spartanburg, S.C.–based textile mill Milliken & Co. were among the companies named as the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Magazine, a national publication that investigates the link between ethics and profit. The magazine’s editors evaluated several thousand companies and winnowed the results down to 92. The review process included each company’s code of ethics, histories of litigation or regulatory infractions, investment in innovative or sustainable business practices and efforts to improve its corporate citizenship. “These organizations go beyond making statements about doing business ethically; they translate those words into action,” said Alex Brigham, executive editor of Ethisphere Magazine. A complete list of the companies on the list is available at www.ethisphere.com.
