Davenport, IA  – Start-up acquisition company GBR Riverdale is excited to announce their continued commitment to preserving business legacies with an evolved vision focusing on environmental, social and governance commitments (ESG).

“Our vision of profitable sustainability is ambitious and tackles systemic challenges. It’s not easy work. Nevertheless, we believe that through our actions, we can be part of a transformation for good,” said Michael Kelker, Chief Executive at GBR.  “GBR is at its heart a family company and making sure we practice what we preach to our children is very important.”

The rollout of the new vision includes a new look for www.gbrriverdale.com. The updated website includes a dynamic and modern design that shares their commitment to environmental health, social cohesion, and steward leadership.

This initiative started thanks to Deere & Co.  Timberline Pallet, a GBR operating company, was asked to participate in an ESG assessment as a key supplier to Deere.  The result was surprising.

“We didn’t do well,” says Brandon Behrens, CFO.  “It wasn’t that we didn’t do many of the things they evaluated, it was that we couldn’t prove it through clear documentation.  It was a real wake-up call that we lacked formal metrics and policies for things we do every day.”

GBR turned to a specialist in the ESG field, Lisa Beth Lentini Walker at Lumen Worldwide Endeavors.  “Numerous studies from Harvard Business Review and other sources show that performance on well-designed ESG metrics leads to better financial results and a more engaged workplace,” Lentini Walker explained, “GBR wanted to do well while doing right. The combination of leadership support and awareness allowed us to quickly move forward with reporting on the current state, articulating the vision and developing clear metrics for future accountability.”

“Lisa Beth was amazing to work with,” Kelker said. “She understood how to take our values and craft sustainable policies that aligned to them.  She appreciated that we don’t have the resources of a Fortune 100 company and helped us craft metrics that made sense for the business while supporting our commitment to ESG.”

The result of that partnership has been transformative. Lentini Walker did not just help shape GBR’s ESG policies but more importantly, changed how it operates and thinks about its business.

“ESG is not a buzzword for big companies.  It is a way of operating that completely aligns with what Michael and Brandon already believe is important,” said Lentini Walker. “Once that clicked, they started coming back to me with even more ideas. It’s exciting to work with a client that is so dynamic in their thinking.”

The culmination of that process was the creation of GBR’s 4A vision statement:

  • Avoid companies where culture, ethics or sustainability approaches are not in alignment with our values.
  • Acquire companies that already have – or could have – meaningful environmental, social and governance impact while seeking higher returns.
  • Aid our operating companies in articulating, reporting and improving their sustainable practices and policies.
  • Augment our operating companies’ positive impact on their communities by giving back locally and enhancing our team members’ work environment and benefits packages.

GBR Riverdale plans to use the 4As to guide their continued acquisition strategy and be recognized as a leader in the ESG space. +++

Media Contact: Melissa Pepper, (815) 222-5543

About GBR Riverdale: GBR Riverdale is a middle-market acquisition company focused on building a diversified portfolio in the industrial manufacturing space, including new part manufacturing, overhaul and repair, and special process and support services. Learn more at https://www.gbrriverdale.com

About Lumen Worldwide Endeavors:  Lumen Worldwide Endeavors, a certified Woman Owned Small Business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, combines an entrepreneurial passion for innovation to the world of compliance, ethics, governance and risk consulting. Our Minneapolis-headquartered team of seasoned professionals bring a fresh perspective, tested technologies and a wealth of experience to help clients anticipate and mitigate a range of regulatory, ethics, compliance and governance risks.  For more information, visit https://www.lumen-we.com