Supplier Benchmarking During the spring of 2024, PPAI Media asked industry suppliers of all sizes a series of questions to assess their status on a number of corporate social responsibility fronts. The following survey questions, which were also used to score the 2024 PPAI 100’s Responsibility category, reveal how suppliers at multiple competitive levels in the marketplace compare to one another. (All percentages have been rounded up.) The 2024 PPAI 100 is built on member feedback from the inaugural ranking. Among the suggestions that we’ve implemented to improve the program is grouping respondents into smaller competitive bands in the marketplace to produce more accurate data. After all, to paraphrase one respondent from last year, a distributor generating $50 million in revenue is very different from a distributor making $250 million in revenue. Suppliers: How does your firm stack up to the competition, and are there areas you can improve or update? TABLE 1: Does your company have a dedicated staff member whose work at least in part relates to the environmental and/or social impact of your business? Yes No Other PPAI 100 Suppliers: 85% 6% 8% Suppliers $100M+: 86% 7% 7% Suppliers $50M-$100M: 94% 6% 0% Suppliers $25M-$50M: 83% 0% 7% Suppliers $5M-$25M: 78% 0% 22% Suppliers Under $5M: 39% 54% 8% “It’s very encouraging to see how high the numbers are for having someone dedicated to the environmental/social impact of the suppliers in our industry,” says Natalie Sheffey, director of sustainability at Hit Promotional Products – the No. 4 supplier in the PPAI 100. “It says a lot about what kind of leaders we have in the industry: trusting and forward-looking leaders who believe the sustainability movement is not just for now, but into the prolonged future.” Companies who responded “Other” mentioned having multiple dedicated staff members. For example, several employees at Storm Creek – the No. 43 supplier in the PPAI 100 – dedicate at least part of their work to monitoring the social and environmental impact of the business. TABLE 2: Does your company have an internal sustainability team, committee or group that champions sustainability efforts across the business? Yes No Other PPAI 100 Suppliers: 85% 13% 2% Suppliers $100M+: 93% 7% 0% Suppliers $50M-$100M: 88% 0% 13% Suppliers $25M-$50M: 83% 17% 0% Suppliers $5M-$25M: 67% 22% 11% Suppliers Under $5M: 50% 42% 8% Nigel Harris, CEO of PowerStick – the No. 75 supplier in the PPAI 100 – is surprised at the “relatively low” number of suppliers at $25 million and under who haven’t yet made sustainability a core component of their growth strategy. “The larger customers and opportunities are increasingly demanding this as one of their must-haves,” Harris says. Brianna Mazze, vice president of compliance and sustainability at St Regis Group – the No. 22 supplier in the PPAI 100 – concurs. “This is a very low effort initiative that could easily be implemented by the smaller suppliers,” Mazze says. “I’d like to see more organizations implementing this.” TABLE 3: Does your company employ or use a third party to verify and ensure responsible supply chain and product safety choices are being made on your behalf? Yes No Other PPAI 100 Suppliers: 85% 6% 8% Suppliers $100M+: 86% 7% 7% Suppliers $50M-$100M: 88% 6% 6% Suppliers $25M-$50M: 67% 0% 33% Suppliers $5M-$25M: 89% 11% 0% Suppliers Under $5M: 69% 15% 15% Must Read | The State of Responsibility 2024 72 • SEPTEMBER 2024 • PPAI
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