Annual Event Brings Together Companies Like Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia
Hundreds of CEOs from a business group representing nearly 1700 companies are moving their annual event which this year was scheduled to be held in Durham, North Carolina. The group will relocate unless North Carolina repeals an anti-LGBT law, HB2, by June 30.Â
The group of “Certified B†ethical corporations includes Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia,and Etsy, along with North Carolina based businesses Seventh Generation and New Belgium Brewing. They make it their business to help enact social good. The event was expected to add $1 million to North Carolina’s economy, Fortune reports.
“B Corps seek to build a more inclusive economy, and that is not possible with laws like HB2 on the books,†Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab, the nonprofit behind the B Corp movement, said in a statement.
But pulling out of the Tar Heel State they say is not the only action they’re taking.
“Through the upcoming legislative session, we will work closely with the North Carolina B Corp community and the LGBT community most affected by this law to make North Carolina more business friendly and enable us to return as soon as possible.â€
The B corps cancellation is just one of many business backlashes against Gov. Pat McCrory’s anti-LGBT law. One estimate puts the economic impact of HB2 at over a half-billion dollars, and growing
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Image by Gavin O’Hara via TwitterÂ