It’s been a year since Ohio-based distributor City Apparel + Merch (PPAI 242048, Silver) received its B Corp certification, and the firm has made several strides since then in becoming a more sustainable company.

It’s often a long, strenuous process for a firm to become certified, and this was no different for the woman-owned company. Andrea Kramer, the company’s president, first learned about B Corp certification in 2017, and decided to take the plunge and begin the application in late 2018.

  • It took her almost two years to wrap up and submit the application in January 2020, and right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit that March, she received a rejection letter.


“They said, ‘You didn’t get all the points sealed, but you could go back and revisit it,'” Kramer recalls. “Well, the pandemic literally happened that week, so I never even looked at what they said. In 2022, I revisited the application, and I hadn’t finished all the questions! That was one of the biggest problems.”

So, after deciding to try again, City Apparel + Merch finally secured certification in March 2024.

Crafting The Organization She Wanted

While completing the B Corp application, Kramer learned a wealth of knowledge about the organization’s philosophy that she wanted to implement into her own company.

  • One part of the application process was centered around living wages.
  • Of course, Kramer had heard of living wages before, but she researched and learned the science behind it while completing her application.
  • That’s when she realized two of her employees weren’t making a living wage, so she changed that.


Another business aspect she changed was the employees’ health benefits. Before completing the application, her company was only covering 50% of employee medical benefits, but this has since increased to 80%.

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Both the social and environmental impacts of sustainability are important to Kramer, so a new initiative the company launched after becoming B Corp certified was offering free apparel recycling for its customers.

  • The firm collects items for customers like Ohio State University and either recycles the products or upcycles them into new items.
  • City Apparel + Merch partners with an organization that sends a group of people with disabilities out to collect the material and assist in the recycling process.


Giving back to the community has always been important to City Apparel + Merch – from fundraising for nonprofits to raising money for cancer foundations. So, becoming B Corp certified has only pushed the firm to continue its efforts.

Community service and financially giving back has always been something that’s been in my blood.”

Andrea Kramer

President, City Apparel + Merch

The company donated over $97,000 in funds in 2024, maintained a 76% compliance rate in its ethical and sustainable supply chain practices and dedicated over 420 hours of paid volunteer time, supporting various community initiatives and causes.

“Community service and financially giving back has always been something that’s been in my blood,” Kramer says. “I’m a third-generation entrepreneur. I grew up watching my family paying it forward and supporting the community in different ways, so that wasn’t really a big change in direction for me. It was just something that I continued to add on into our philosophy.”

The Process

Becoming B Corp certified is a laborious task. Over 9,800 companies across 159 industries have achieved this feat as of May 2025. The certification process is run by B Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to helping companies balance profit with purpose.

The purpose of the designation is to recognize for-profit companies meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

The process consists of three steps:

  • Achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing the risk review.
  • Making a legal commitment by changing corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders rather than just shareholders, as well as achieving benefit corporation status if available in your jurisdiction.
  • Exhibiting transparency by allowing information about performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on your B Corp profile on B Lab’s website.


“The most enjoyable (part of becoming B Corp certified) is the excitement that our team has felt in regard to contributing all the do-gooding that we do,” Kramer says. “They know that what they’re doing every day is having a positive impact, both in our company and our community and in the environment.”

Multiple promo firms have achieved B Corp certification in recent years, including Gemline, Fairware, Genumark, Brand Fuel, Full Line Specialties, Raining Rose, Chameleon Like, McCabe Promotional, Eco Promotional Products and more.

For other promo firms seeking certification, Kramer has a word of advice:

“Don’t do it if it’s not truly you,” she says. “It’s not something you can fake. If you do try to fake it, it’ll be really expensive and painful. If this is who you are, and you want to continue to grow personally and professionally, then it’s the right direction for you.

“But, if you have to change too much, just don’t do it. Just do the right thing that’s in your means, but don’t feel pressured to become certified in order to do good.”