Centrick sets sights on B Corp status
Property specialist Centrick has set out to achieve B Corp status.
The residential property specialist said a “group-wide taskforce” including board directors and team members at all levels will lead the bid to achieve the globally recognised B Corp certification by December 2024.
Centrick founder James Ackrill said: “Centrick was established in 2005 and set out to nurture a property business with the most talented and knowledgeable people in the industry, who would go the extra mile for clients. We are always exploring where the future of sustainable and considered growth of the business is going and why. The board and I have long held the belief that we have a collective responsibility as a company to the wider community. Achieving B Corp status reinforces our continued efforts to be a contributor to environmental and social benefits.
“Pending legislation soon to arrive in the housing sector, there is a broad ambition to be carbon neutral by 2035. This ambition is perhaps most apparent in the build to rent (BTR) sector and we see VICI, our leading BTR offering, as a key focus area for ESG development. A growing number of developers and investors in BTR are very tuned in to ESG and, like us, they are seeking clear pathways to net zero, environmental sustainability and better social awareness – we welcome alignment and partnership with those that share our ESG vision.
“However, the reason for becoming B Corp accredited shouldn’t be commercial. Morally, we believe it is the right thing to do. We’re ambitious about our ESG goals and believe that B Corp provide a platform to grow this ambition.”
Chris Whiley, Centrick group projects director, said: “By signalling our intent to become a certified B Corp, we hope to not only create a better standard of living, working and collaborating across the homes and developments we manage but also to send a clear message to the industry that ESG priorities must be front and centre.
“At Centrick, we’ve always sought out innovation at all levels, from our ‘Brilliant Basics’ to consistent benchmarking and beyond. We believe in ‘making customer’s lives better every day, the Centrick way’ and our vision is to operate in the most sustainable and ethical way possible, bringing our social conscience to all our business decisions.”
He added: “Centrick has, and always will, stand apart for our commitment to people, purpose and the planet. We believe strongly in the power of incorporating strong environmental, social and governance practices into our core operating model and the benefits that clear, accountable and public commitments bring to our economy and the society that we all live in.”
The Birmingham-based company, which also has offices in London, Solihull, Nottingham, Fareham, Sheffield and Manchester, manages more than 23,500 homes and 500 developments.
