Starting a brewing company was more than about making a profit for Chris Johnson and Jennifer O’Keefe.
The co-owners of Rough Waters Brewing Company, a Deer Lake business, also operate with a sense of social and environmental awareness.
During the past year, they have undertaken various initiatives to ensure sustainability in these areas.
Now, they’re aiming to be the first Newfoundland and Labrador company to receive B Corporation certification: a private certification given to for-profit companies, from across the globe, who meet certain social and environmental performance standards.
For Johnson and O’Keefe, it would make them innovators in this field in the province.
“I think it would also mean we’re on the leading edge of the change to being more responsible in business,” Johnson told SaltWire Network. “In a wave of businesses that are starting, are going to continue to be more and more responsible and environmentally friendly, it’d be nice to be one of the first to help make that happen here in the province.”
Both Johnson and O’Keefe also felt it would be a way to ensure they’re following through on their promises.
“It lets our customers and community know we are doing what we say we’re doing,” said O’Keefe.
Since opening in November 2019, Rough Waters has found ways to support community initiatives. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would freely host vendors to raise money for different local charities.
Throughout the summer, it hosted a “pint of the week” with every dollar for a certain pint each week going towards its “Beer for Good” fund.
The business used those funds to purchase a cat enclosure for a local rescue group, as well as groceries for the Deer Lake Food Bank.
Currently, the co-owners are releasing their first “charitable beer” for December. The plan is for a few times each year to release a beer with a dollar from each bottle going towards a chosen charity. This month, they’re making a cherry porter with proceeds going towards 12 Months 12 Miracles.
They also use ethical sources, having apparel made from Jerico, a company in Toronto, and then screen-printed in St. John’s.
Ensuring happy employees is also imperative, particularly for a living wage as well as benefits.
Environmentally, Rough Waters has focused on waste diversion, for instance, composting used hops and yeast and using it to feed livestock, as well as water conservation, recapturing leftover water into the hot liquor tank and using it to brew their next batch.
Labels on bottles are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to ensure they came from responsibly forested wood.
O’Keefe, a former social worker, feels it’s important for businesses to take initiatives like these and be leaders in achieving a new normal.
“I knew from a very early age I wanted to do something to help people,” she added. “And then once social work wasn’t really working for me and we decided to get into business, we still wanted to do something to give back.”
Changing the business world
Nicole Helwig, manager of the Centre for Social Enterprise at Memorial University, emphasizes the importance of having responsible businesses within communities.
“It goes beyond making a profit and making a donation to a charity,” she told SaltWire Network. “It’s really about how the business can be run in a way that is more impactful for the wider community as well as working towards that business being financially sustainable in itself.”
Helwig believes the province is seeing more conscious consumerism and businesses are also adapting to this fact.
“Consumers want to know more about what they’re purchasing, where it’s coming from, how things have been produced, and if they’ve been produced responsibly,” she said. “Part of it is a response to the marketplace.”
Particularly, Helwig is seeing this interest grow among younger people.
“They want to see what difference they can make in the world through how they approach business and how they would work in, or run businesses, themselves,” she said.
She felt having a potential B Corporation was a very exciting development for the province.
A company can’t be B Corporation certified in its first year so Rough Waters’ certification is currently pending.
Johnson and O’Keefe are hoping to have their certification by summer 2021.
Stephen Roberts is a West Coast reporter with the Telegram.
