The Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Alan Dillon TD, welcomed representatives of Galway-based print and signage company iSupply to his constituency office in Castlebar to mark the company's latest milestone, achieving B Corp certification.
Awarded to companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability, B Corp certification is widely regarded as one of the most rigorous and respected standards in responsible business. With more than 10,500 certified companies worldwide and a rapidly expanding community of over 110 in Ireland, the movement continues to grow as businesses seek to demonstrate that commercial success and positive impact can go hand in hand.
Employing 21 people in Galway, iSupply provides print, signage, design and direct mail services to organisations throughout Ireland across sectors including hospitality, healthcare, charities and corporate services. Over a number of years, the company has focused on combining high-quality service with responsible sourcing, waste reduction and innovative approaches to measuring and reducing the environmental impact of printed materials.
Understanding the importance of passing knowledge and values to future generations, iSupply has also worked alongside organisations such as Baboró to help communicate complex sustainability concepts in an accessible and engaging way, while collaborations with industry and research partners have helped drive circular economy initiatives aimed at keeping materials in use for longer and reducing waste sent to landfill.
Louis Donnellan, Managing Director of iSupply, described the certification as an important milestone in the company's development.
"More than anything, I see this as a sign of maturity for the business. We've recognised that we have an impact on our customers, our community and the environment, and our responsibility is to ensure that impact is as positive as possible. Sustainability and maintaining a profitable business are not mutually exclusive; they can and should go hand in hand."
Head of Sustainability at iSupply, Dylan Kelly McDonagh, emphasised the importance of collaboration and the role of the wider business community in accelerating change.
"B Corp is fundamentally a movement, and its impact grows as more businesses join and collaborate towards the same end. We're proud to be the first printing and signage company in Ireland to achieve certification, but I have no doubt that we will not be the last. There is a tremendous amount of innovation and ambition across the Irish print sector, and by working together we have an opportunity to demonstrate what responsible manufacturing can look like."
The growing demand for responsible business practices is increasingly challenging the perception that sustainability leadership is reserved for large multinationals. In fact, almost 90% of European B Corps are SMEs, highlighting the increasingly important role smaller businesses play in driving positive change.
As one of the 112 certified B Corps in Ireland, iSupply believes the achievement represents not an end point, but a foundation for continued improvement and innovation. Proudly rooted in Galway, the company hopes to help shape the future of responsible printing in Ireland and demonstrate that sustainability and business value can continue to develop hand in hand.
