Shaggy’s Skis | B Corp Readiness Assessment

Prepared by: Mary Kate Ahles
Date: October 2025
Company HQ: Boyne City, Michigan

What this is

This is a mock consulting deliverable demonstrating how I would scope, assess, and roadmap a Michigan outdoor brand’s path to B Corp Certification. It uses publicly available information and reasonable assumptions; it is not an official engagement with Shaggy’s.

B Corp Readiness Assessment

  • Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis is a Michigan-made, family-owned ski manufacturer with strong community roots and craftsmanship that already align with B Corp values. The brand shows clear strengths in local sourcing, durable product design, and direct customer care (including warranty and repair pathways). Primary gaps are formal governance language (mission lock), systematic data collection (energy, waste, Scope 1–3), and documented policies across workers, suppliers, and claims.

    Estimated B Impact readiness (mock): 62/100.
    Certification threshold: 80 points on the B Impact Assessment (BIA).

    Focus the next 12 months on (1) mission/governance formalization, (2) emissions + utility data capture, (3) supplier standards & traceability, and (4) employee/DEI policy maturity. These steps should unlock ~20–25 points, putting Shaggy’s within certification reach.

    • What they do: Custom skis designed and built in Northern Michigan. “Family owned and operated since 2005.”

    • Where: Boyne City, MI (factory and showroom).

    • Origin story: The “Shaggy’s” name honors Sulo “Shaggy” Lehto, who hand-carved skis in Michigan’s Copper Country; the Thompson family began building skis in 2005 and released the first line to the public in 2008.

    • Materials cue: Select-cut Northern Michigan hardwood cores (ash/poplar/aspen) highlighted across product and construction pages.

    • Customer care: Two-year warranty; published satisfaction guarantee; repair options available.

  • B Corp Certification evaluates a company’s impact across five areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers, with certification requiring 80+ points on the B Impact Assessment and meeting legal accountability standards (stakeholder governance/benefit corp where applicable).

    B Lab’s updated B Impact platform helps companies measure, manage, and improve their impact data over time—useful for Shaggy’s to institutionalize metrics.

B Corp.

Readiness Scorecard

  • Impact Area

    Governance

    Workers

    Community

    Environment

    Customers

    Total (mock)

  • Mock Score

    12/20

    10/20

    15/20

    18/30

    7/10

    62/100

  • Strength Signals

    Authentic mission; family ownership

    Small team; high touch culture

    Local manufacturing & sourcing; MI economic contribution

    Durable/repairable products; local hardwood cores

    Warranty/repairs; direct engagement

  • Notable Gaps

    No formal mission lock; limited board-level oversight of ESG

    Limited documented policies (DEI, safety, benefits disclosure, training)

    Limited impact tracking (local spend %, volunteer hours)

    No GHG inventory; limited utilities/waste data; no LCA

    No formal claims/labeling policy; limited accessibility statements

  • Priority Actions

    Adopt stakeholder-purpose language in operating agreement; create ESG policy; assign an exec owner

    Publish an employee handbook; annual engagement survey; safety & training logs

    Track/baseline local procurement; paid volunteer hours; community grants rubric

    Complete Scope 1–2, estimate Scope 3; LCA on 1–2 ski models; energy/water/waste audits

    Responsible marketing policy; product care/repair content; accessibility & privacy standards

Key Strengths to Leverage

  1. Local Roots, Local Materials: Michigan hardwood core emphasis + in-state manufacturing can reduce transport impacts and support local jobs.

  2. Durability & Repair: A repair option and two-year warranty align with product stewardship and waste prevention.

  3. Customer Proximity: DTC model, open-house factory culture, and satisfaction guarantee enable feedback loops for continuous improvement.

Gaps & Improvement Opportunities

Governance & Accountability

  • Formalize a mission-lock and stakeholder governance in LLC documents; publish an ESG policy with named oversight and cadence (e.g., quarterly).

Impact Measurement & Management

  • Stand up B Impact account; build a lightweight data dictionary (utility meters, fuel receipts, waste manifests, HR metrics). Phase in monthly collection.

Climate & Footprint

  • Complete Scope 1–2 GHG baseline; estimate Scope 3 (materials, shipping). Commission a screening LCA on one flagship ski to quantify hotspots (resins, bases, edges, packaging).

Suppliers & Materials

  • Launch a Supplier Code of Conduct emphasizing wood sourcing, labor, and restricted substances; document preferred suppliers for traceability.

Workers & Inclusion

  • Publish an employee handbook (benefits, safety, training, anti-harassment, DEI commitments). Add an annual engagement survey and incident/safety logs.

Customers & Claims

  • Create a Responsible Marketing & Claims Policy (substantiation for “sustainable,” “local,” etc.). Expand repair/care content and end-of-life guidance (bindings removal, base repair, recycling/repurpose).

12- to 18-Month Roadmap

    • Form ESG working group; select B Impact as system of record.

    • Approve mission-lock/stakeholder language with counsel; publish ESG policy page.

    • Begin utility, fuel, waste, materials data capture; define SKU-level BoM fields (core species, resin mass, base type).

    • Complete Scope 1–2 GHG baseline; screening LCA for 1–2 models.

    • Draft Supplier Code + preferred list; pilot 1–2 traceability asks (origin, certifications if applicable).

    • Publish employee handbook; run first engagement survey; safety training tracker live.

    • Roll out claims policy; update product pages with care/repair info.

    • Set 2030 targets (energy intensity, waste diversion, % local spend, repair turnaround time).

    • Launch community program with tracked hours/micro-grants.

    • Re-score BIA; compile documentation; address gaps; submit for B Corp review.

Sample Policies/Artifacts

  • Mission & Governance: ESG policy; board/owner charter; risk and ethics policy.

  • Workers: Handbook; DEI statement; training matrix; safety SOPs.

  • Environment: GHG inventory workbook; LCA summary infographic; energy/water/waste dashboards.

  • Community: Local spend calculator; volunteer program guide; grant rubric.

  • Customers: Responsible marketing policy; claims substantiation log; repair & care microsite copy.

Expected Impact on BIA Score

  • Governance: +6–8 (mission lock, oversight, ethics)

  • Workers: +6–8 (policies, training, safety, engagement)

  • Community: +4–6 (local spend %, volunteer program, transparency)

  • Environment: +10–12 (GHG baseline, goals, LCA, waste/energy programs)

  • Customers: +3–4 (claims policy, repair/care content, accessibility)

Potential total after 12–15 months: ~82–90 (eligible to submit)

Why Shaggy’s is a Good B Corp Candidate

Shaggy’s already acts like a B Corp: small-batch manufacturing, local hardwood cores, hands-on customer service, and a culture that treats skiers like family. The work ahead is mostly codifying and measuring what’s implicit today—so the impact is visible, verifiable, and improvable year over year.

Sources

Attribution & Disclaimer

This page is a portfolio mock created by Mary Kate Ahkin. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis or B Lab. All brand names are used nominatively with respect. The assessment, scores, and roadmap above are illustrative only.

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