Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900) has made sustainability and corporate social responsibility a priority.

The efforts have not gone unrecognized.

Geiger just earned a gold medal from EcoVadis during a sustainability assessment, which places the Lewiston, ME-headquartered firm in the top 5% of the more than 75,000 companies that have been assessed under the green standards.

Solar power on display at Geiger’s headquarters in Lewiston, ME.

The news comes as Geiger announces it’s also joined the United Nations Global Compact, which aims to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect the planet.

“The combination of being a signatory to the UN Global Compact and the gold level achievement with EcoVadis represents our ongoing commitment to sustainability and social responsibility,” said Chris McKee, Geiger’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We look forward to continuing to support and invest in efforts such as these on behalf of our clients, associates and communities.”

With the UN Global Compact, participating organizations commit to doing business responsibly and to discovering opportunities to innovate and solve societal and global challenges. Over 10,000 companies have joined the UN Global Compact since it was launched in 2000, Geiger reported.

Meanwhile, EcoVadis’ mission is to provide an impartial standard to recognize the accomplishments of sustainable businesses and inform the decision-making of those firms’ prospective clients. The organization assesses businesses on the quality of their sustainability practices, intensively rating environmental, social and ethical performance.

After joining the EcoVadis program in 2019, Geiger initially earned a silver medal. Reassessed in March 2021, improvements Geiger had made earned the firm a gold medal. 

“The evidence submitted each year must show implemented processes and demonstrated results,” said Vicky Kinasz, managing director of Geiger’s United Kingdom-based team. “I am very proud of the team and of how we have worked to improve our operations in these areas since the start.”

Geiger’s green accomplishments include having the largest business solar array in Maine. The system powers the company’s Lewiston headquarters.

With reported 2019 North American promotional product revenue of $236.3 million, Geiger ranked eighth on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest distributors in the industry. The new list is due to be released in the summer of 2021.