Our Ongoing Commitment to Impact as a Benefit Corporation

Our Decision to Step Away from B-Corp Certification:

As an employee-owned company and Oregon-registered benefit corporation, it is our purpose to provide fulfilling work for our team while we locally craft quality products that promote a healthier, more connected world. In 2023, Softstar became a certified “B Corp” by a third-party auditor, B Lab, which we celebrated in the photo above.  In September 2026, we chose not to pursue re-certification under B Lab’s new standards. While our certification is ending, our mission to walk lightly on the earth and promote well-being in our communities continues.

What is a B Corp?

The "B" in B Corp stands for "Benefit." Benefit Corporations are legal company structures (like C-Corps or S-Corps) that are designed for companies that consider social and environmental impact just as important as profitability. Many businesses have community-minded values, but becoming a benefit corporation ensures these objectives are written into their legal DNA. In addition to changing its legal structure, a company can also choose to be B Corp certified. B Corp certification is a third-party validation of a company's claims of meeting high standards of environmental and social stewardship. Softstar is a benefit corporation, but cannot use the branded "B Corp" label or logo going forward without re-investing in a new certification.

Why New Standards?

This year, new B Lab V2.1 certification standards were made in response to public outcry that the certification had become too diluted.  Several large multinational corporations (MNC) had attained the B Corp certification despite questionable social and environmental practices, which weakened the credibility of the certification.  In response, B-Lab changed their model to 100% compliance requirements with a one-size-fits-MNC approach.  While we respect why B Lab made these changes, many were not financially realistic for small, locally owned businesses, which has made it too costly for many to comply. Unfortunately, many smaller businesses are quietly exiting the B-Corp scene this year in response to the new standards.

Our Reasons:

Softstar is a registered Oregon benefit company and has a very robust and comprehensive governance model in place as an employee-owned trust.   Despite this, we were not able meet the new legal requirements in our governing documents without hiring lawyers to work through a new legal pathway with B Lab, incurring expenses we could not afford.

Equally important,  the new model required 100% compliance to standards that often were not relevant to small, locally operated businesses such as writing HR policies around slave labor or political lobbying. The level of administration and complexity was designed with large corporations in mind.  After discussing the new requirements as a team, we decided that the time and resources required for recertification could make a greater impact if invested directly in our employees, our community, responsible manufacturing, and environmental efforts.  It makes sense for B-Lab, the certifying organization,  to focus on large corporations as they have exponentially bigger impacts worldwide.  However, it is a loss for celebrating the excellent work that happens at smaller companies who, ironically, were at the heart leading the early B-Corp movement.

Softstar was founded almost four decades ago by Tim Oliver, who started making healthy footwear for his young daughters out of a broken-down school bus. Tim lived frugally and utilized resources sparingly. Over time, he established a community dedicated to preserving nature and promoting long-term sustainability. Over time, Softstar has grown into a 12,000 square foot workshop in rural Oregon, continuing to thrive even after 41 years. This year, Softstar became 100% Employee Owned and the company is now held in a perpetual trust so it can continue its good work.

How Does Softstar Make an Impact?

Softstar not only strives to assist our customers in developing strong foundations and healthy feet, but we also pride ourselves on surpassing the norm and making a positive impact. Team members enjoy wellness benefits, team activities, and ongoing training opportunities. Softstar's sustainable culture includes an energy-efficient, family-friendly workshop that is wind and solar-powered as well as a beautiful employee garden. The company donates 100% of revenue from scrap-made pet toys to charity and has been one of Oregon’s 100 greenest companies for ten years in a row.

What Changes At Softstar?

The only change is that we will remove the B Corp certified logo from our website. Everything that makes Softstar a benefit corporation continues. Our commitment to making Softstar a wonderful place to work. Transparency. Social and environmental responsibility. Making a positive impact on our community and in the lives of our customers. Much of what we learned as a B-Corp opened our eyes to broader issues beyond our local community as to how can keep improving to better serve our global community and be better stewards of our resources. We carry that broader framework forward, as well. We continue our work as an Oregon-registered benefit corporation and as an employee-owned force for good.  

Elf Hava

Hava Terry is a 15 year veteran of Softstar who truly embodies Softstar values with her amiable nature,  empathy, and leadership. She has an amazing laugh, which radiates through the shop, bringing joy to everyone even on the most stressful days,  As our Sustainability Coordinator, Hava has a personal passion for sustainability in her personal life, her community and at Softstar. She bikes everywhere around town and was one of the first to invest in an electric car. She supports local community youth programs, reuse/recycling programs, rescues dogs, and is an organic gardener who on many occasions has been found planting blueberry and tomato plants in our employee garden for us to enjoy on breaks.