Five Arkansas Companies Achieve B Corp Certification

A farming partner of Rogers-based Onyx Coffee Lab, which focuses on equity and transparency in the coffee industry. The company achieved B Corp status in April. (Provided)

A new business certification is taking hold across the state, as Arkansas jumped from housing one Certified B Corporation to five since 2022, with two achieving the certification just this year.

Certified B Corps are companies that meet rigorous standards for social and environmental conduct, accountability and transparency. B Corps legally commit to consider the impact of their decisions on “all stakeholders,” including workers, customers, suppliers, the community and the environment.

To earn the certification, companies must score at least 80 points on a comprehensive assessment covering the aforementioned sectors. According to B Lab, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit that issues the certification, the average assessment score is 50.9.

B Corps must undergo a recertification every three years. And S Corps or C Corps must first also register as a benefit corporation, a legally recognized type of company that pursues a specific public benefit in addition to profit, to qualify.

Southern Bancorp Inc. of Arkadelphia became the state’s first B Corp in 2019, with a current assessment score of 129.7. The highest possible score is around 250, though it differs based on industry and other factors, and the highest-ever score is only 206.7.

Southern Bancorp is the state’s only B Corp-certified bank, and one of only 16 in the United States. The financial institution also has the highest score in Arkansas.

“Our strongest area was community impact, which aligns with our mission to serve financially underserved populations,” Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams said. “We do this through affordable loans, credit counseling, financial coaching and public policy advocacy — all aimed at expanding economic opportunity.”

Arkansas’ other B Corps include 8th & Walton, a supply chain consultant out of Bentonville; Onyx Coffee Lab of Rogers; and outdoor apparel brand LIVSN Designs of Bentonville. The fifth is Gerdau US & Canada, which is based in Florida, but operates a large portion of its steel business out of Fort Smith.

8th & Walton was certified in 2022, Gerdau in 2024, and both Onyx and LIVSN this spring. Those assessment scores are 87.2, 101, 99.1 and 111.2, respectively.

For the executives of Southern Bancorp, Onyx and LIVSN, the certification was just a ratification of what the companies were already doing.

“Many of our practices already aligned with B Corp values, but the certification process required us to formalize and document our impact more rigorously,” Williams said.

Onyx co-founder Jon Allen had a similar experience during a 14- to 16-month certification process. The company focuses on transparency in the coffee industry, direct trade with producers, and financial and agricultural sustainability. But the certification proved difficult.

“There may be a coffee farm that we purchase from, and they’re asking for specific records, and I’m trying to explain to them that the farmer doesn’t have a computer and we have handwritten trade documents,” Allen said. Outside of that, Allen said the company didn’t actually have to change any of its practices to meet the certification standards.

And besides switching from a traditional C Corp to a public benefit corporation, LIVSN also didn’t have to change many of its operations. The company was founded in 2018 by Andrew Gibbs-Dabney and pursued the certification to “lock in” its core values.

“As a small team, it’s easy to know that we all get it and our values align, but as the business grows and more people come on, that stuff can get lost,” Abby Hollis, LIVSN’s director of product and sustainability, said. “Doing it now was important to make sure that stays core to our business. Another big factor was making it easier for customers to feel good about buying.”

According to B Lab, standard value propositions of B Corps include retention of talent, attraction to investors, connection to like-minded peers, accountability to mission and purpose, and impact improvement.

“It’s allowed us to not have to cheerlead ourselves,” Allen said. “We can just allow the mark to speak on its own, and then we can talk about quality coffee. We’re seeing that play out.”

Companies have to pay an initial submission fee and an annual certification fee based on gross annual revenue. Though Onyx did not disclose annual gross revenue, Allen said the process was “very, very expensive.” For a company like Southern Bancorp, which had a gross annual revenue of $146.96 million in 2024, the submission would cost $900 and the annual renewal fee would be $30,000. But that doesn’t account  for the internal processing and labor fees of organizing the submission.

Despite the intense process and fees, each of the B Corps believes the certification is worth it.

“B Corps can play a vital role in the state’s economic development by fostering growth, attracting talent and building resilient communities,” Williams said. Allen and Gibbs-Dabney agree.

“What has been proven time and time again by businesses that have gone down this path is that if you do what’s good for your community and environment, you’re also creating a more profitable, resilient business,” Gibbs-Dabney said.