Taking the high road
Ethics awards prove that nice businesses finish first in Atlantic Canada.

Peter Moorhouse, president and CEO of Atlantic Canada’s Better Business Bureau believes there is only one way to run a business – the ethical way. “I’d like to believe any company that gets ahead on the backs of others, that’s not a sustainable business model,” Moorhouse says.

The Bureau recently showcased Atlantic Canadian businesses that are shining examples of ethical business practices. At its 10th annual Atlantic Business Ethics Awards gala, it recognized six organizations in six different categories. The winners included L’Arche Homefires (charity), Flowercart (non-profit), Larry Hatt’s Auto Service (under 15 employees), Heartwood Restaurant (16-25 employees), Nutri Lawn Newfoundland and Labrador (26-75 employees) and Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union (over 75 employees). The first four businesses listed are based in Nova Scotia. The last two, as their names suggest, are in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The winners were selected by a five-member panel of judges selected from all four Atlantic provinces. A total of 100 nominations were received. The panel was asked to select winners that embody an exceptional commitment to ethical business practices.

Moorhouse says in today’s society, where the Internet and social media floods consumers with information, word spreads quickly when a business isn’t operating above board with its customers. “There is a lot of transparency out there and if businesses aren’t acting ethically they are going to get called out,” Moorhouse says. But the threat of being shamed on the Internet for poor business ethics shouldn’t be the reason companies decide to do right by their customers. Moorhouse says being recognized as a business that operates ethically will make it more successful in the long run. “Running a business that respects employees and its customers is the only thing that will keep a business in business,” Moorhouse says.