American Solutions for Business (PPAI 101656, D12), ranked the No. 9 distributor in this year’s PPAI 100, has updated its Corporate Responsibility Report.

The project highlights the Glenwood, Minnesota-headquartered company’s commitment to sustainability, philanthropy and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). “This is not so much a fiscal report, as it is a story of our journey as a company and the importance of our culture,” says Justin Zavadil, president of ASB. “We’re excited to uphold the commitments we’ve made to our employees, partners and customers.”

Here are five key takeaways from the report:

  1. Protecting The Environment

Sustainability is a core tenet of ASB, which offers a variety of eco-friendly products and runs a Partners For Progress program for vendors to encourage responsible, safe and sustainable sourcing.

Focused on reducing their carbon footprint, many of ASB’s vendors use recycled materials and renewable resources, as well as give customers the option to source locally. Furthermore, ASB works with supply chain partners who hold certifications for fair labor and sustainable eco practices.

At home, ASB’s distribution center in Glenwood relies upon solar energy, LED lighting and insulated doors, roofs and walls. Plus, in an effort to go paperless, the company has moved to a fully electronic platform for reporting sales activity and commissions.

  1. Fostering An Inclusive Workplace

ASB has created a DEI council consisting of members from different departments, locations and demographics. The council’s goal is to “uphold the structure and education” needed to continue DEI efforts at the company. Leading by example, members of the senior leadership team became certified in the Leverage Diversity and Inclusion for Organizational Excellence course through Stanford Graduate School of Business.

  1. Strengthening Cybersecurity

Since 2019, ASB has maintained its Cyber Safe Pledge, designed to help the distributorship and its partners conduct business safely and securely with each other. While there are 10 overall focus areas of the pledge, the goals focus primarily on:

  • Identity management, including multi-factor authentication

 

  • Policies and planning, such as a disaster recovery and business continuity written plan that are tested at least annually

 

  • Update and security, which is providing and requiring security awareness training for employees and contractors


In addition to the pledge, ASB has established an ongoing security training program for employees to proactively educate themselves on phishing, malware and fraud.

  1. It’s A Family Affair

A repeat honoree in PPAI’s Greatest Companies To Work For, ASB has truly invested in its people through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), work-from-home flexibility, tuition assistance and other benefits.

It’s not just a family atmosphere, though, as many ASB employees are actually related to each other. In addition to siblings and spouses working together, the company also has different generations on payroll, following in the footsteps of founder and CEO Larry Zavadil and his son Justin, president of ASB.

  1. Giving Back

Supporting local charities, schools and other organizations, ASB prioritizes its social impact, encouraging employees to also give back to their community. In fact, those at the home office are granted “volunteer time off” to serve nonprofits and other charitable organizations near and dear to their heart.

ASB’s other philanthropic initiatives include:

  • Adopting a stretch of highway that employees volunteer to clean up

 

  • Partnering with Meals-On-Wheels for employees to take turns delivering nutritious meals to Glenwood residents

 

  • Caring for local senior citizens, including providing them gifts during the holidays

 

  • Home office employees and sales associates making a large donation in honor of Larry and Diane Zavadil to “adopt” a family in need. Over the last several years, the company has raised thousands of dollars to provide clothing, food, gifts and personal care supplies to these families.