Wegmans Ranks No. 1 on Harris/Finn Societal ROI Index

Wegmans Food Markets has earned yet another accolade for its corporate stewardship and corresponding public perception of its impact on society as the top-ranked company on a new 2018 Societal Return on Investment (ROI) Index.

Nabbing a score of 85 out of a possible 100 on the new corporate benchmarking index, which was designed by The Harris Poll and Finn Partners to measure a company’s corporate reputation and impact for societal good, executives from the Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans said the honor reflects its “belief that if you lead with your heart and do what’s right, everything else will fall into place.”

In a statement, Colleen Wegman, CEO of the 98-store chain, said, “We are very lucky, and I am so grateful, to be part of a company where everyone works together to make a real difference.”

Wegmans is one of six food retailers to land on the 2018 Societal ROI top 20 index, which also saw two leading CPG companies factoring among America’s most visible companies, whose rankings and scores include:

1. Wegmans (85)

4. Aldi (82)

8. Kellogg Co. (80)

11. H-E-B (79)

12. Publix Super Markets (79)

15. Whole Foods Market (78)

18. The Kraft Heinz Co. (75)

20. The Kroger Co. (75)

Companies in grocery and technology earned the highest scores on the Societal ROI dimensions, which gauge the public’s perception of their impact on society across three categories:

Visible values: A company’s accountability for its actions and whether it speaks out on social issues.

Civic minds: How a company behaves toward the community where it operates and how fairly it rewards its employees.

Ethical stewards: The quality of a company’s leadership and its reputation for maintaining high ethical standards.

“In today’s world, companies are finding themselves being judged against a new yardstick by investors, employees, policymakers and the public when it comes to social good,” said Wendy Salomon, managing director of corporate reputation for The Harris Poll. The new metric, which she said brings together elements of leadership, citizenship and real-world engagement to create a holistic assessment, “provides business leaders with an unprecedented read on what aspects of their social good performance might be most helpful or harmful to their growth,” Salomon added.

Related:Wegmans, Publix, Nugget Make Fortune's Best Workplaces for Women