Ricoh named “World’s most ethical companies” for third year in a row
London, 21 March 2011 – Ricoh Company, Ltd., a worldwide leader in digital office equipment and advanced document management solutions and services, announced today that it has been recognised by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies.
Award recognises exceptional ethical leadership actively upheld within various industries
This is the third year in a row that the company is honoured for going beyond legal minimums, introducing innovative ideas to benefit the public and forcing its competitors to follow suit by consistently upping the ante for what it takes to be an ethical leader. Out of a record number of nominations for the award, Ricoh secured a hard-earned spot on the list by going the extra mile and implementing upright business practices and initiatives that are instrumental to the company’s success, benefit the community, and raise the bar for ethical standards within the industry.
"Ricoh is committed to a corporate and business structure that can responsibly respond to changes in today’s world. This includes evaluating Ricoh’s role and the role of each and every employee in order to provide products and services that truly satisfy our customers’ needs worldwide,” said James Deacon, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Ricoh UK. “Being named to Ethisphere’s 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies list is a testament to the solid foundation we have in place.”
This is the fifth year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the WME rankings, which appear in Ethisphere Magazine’s Q1 issue.
Ethisphere reviewed thousands of companies and evaluated a record number of applications utilising its propriety methodology through in-depth research and multi-step analysis, naming 110 companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year's World's Most Ethical Companies list. The 2011 list features companies in 38 industries including 43 companies headquartered outside the United States.
“As companies strive to maintain a competitive advantage, good ethics translate into better business, and better business means better bottom lines. Ricoh recognises the important role that principled practices play in brand reputation, which ultimately is the most valuable asset for a corporation,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute. “Each year, the competition gets more intense for the World’s Most Ethical Companies and this year was no exception with a record number of organisations vying for this distinguished honour. Ethisphere congratulates Ricoh on being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2011.”
The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.
Read about the methodology and view the complete list of the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies at
http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical-companies-rankings/.
About Ricoh UK:
Ricoh designs, develops and manufactures a complete range of
print and document management, hardware, software and services which are tailored to meet individual customer needs. Its devices print, copy, scan and fax documents as an integrated part of the
IT network and enterprise content management system. Software is used to audit usage, manage document flows, simplify business processes, control print expenditure and
secure access. The company takes an innovative approach to research and development, having invented the first digital black & white copier and introducing the colour-capable device.
Ricoh established an Environmental Protection Office in 1976, and has been striving to minimise the effect of its activities on the environment ever since. Ricoh UK’s environmental credentials are second to none; it operates a zero-waste policy at all of its manufacturing plants and is investing in carbon reduction technologies to reduce the environmental impact of its operations rather than merely offsetting its carbon footprint. The company operates a dedicated ‘Green Centre’, where old machines are re-commissioned and recycled in line with WEEE Directive guidelines and accredited with ISO14001:2004 for environmental management. Ricoh has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and, for the fifth consecutive year, has also been named as one of the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World" by the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Further information can be found at
http://www.ricoh.co.uk/
For further information, please call the Ricoh UK PR team at Burson-Marsteller on +44 20 7300 6172
About Ethisphere Institute:
The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability. The Institute’s associated membership groups, the Ethisphere Council and Business Ethics Leadership Alliance, are forums for business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions. These groups are dedicated to the development and advancement of members through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. Ethisphere Magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. Ethisphere provides the only third-party verifications of compliance programs and ethical cultures, Ethics Inside Certification®, Anti-Corruption Leader Verification and Compliance Program Verification.
More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at
http://www.ethisphere.com
