BLOOMINGTON, MN (BRAIN) — Quality Bicycle Products recognized Landry’s Bicycles for its local and national advocacy work and Clif Bar for its social and environmental activism with awards at its Frostbike open house last weekend.
Landry’s is a four-store retailer in Boston and one of the longest operating shops in the country, founded in 1922. General manager Tom Henry is active in local and national initiatives to get more people biking and create more places for cyclists to ride. He recruits area cyclists to join state advocacy organizations, including MassBike, the Bicycle Coalition of Massachusetts, and the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA).
Jack Johnson, Landry’s resident bicycle advocate, works with the staff to sponsor cycling education and support dozens of annual benefit rides and racing events. Landry’s was one of the first retailers to create a paid staff advocacy position.
Recently, when QBP advocacy director Gary Sjoquist was unable to attend a meeting with members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, he asked Henry to attend in his place.
“Landry’s focus on advocacy is a core strength of their business, and something that connects them in spirit with QBP,” said QBP president Steve Flagg, while presenting Landry's with the Clay Mankin award.
Also at Frostbike, QBP awarded Clif Bar its annual “Vendor of the Year” award.
Clif Bar’s initiatives include Project 2080, a program that enrolls Clif employees to volunteer for charitable causes. In 2011, Clif Bar employees donated 6,801 hours to local charities.
Clif also organizes “In Good Company,” a community service program that enlists volunteers from other values-driven companies, including QBP.
The company is a member of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy, which advocates for energy and environmental policies that counter the growing risks of global climate change.
In 2012, Clif’s new 115,000-square-foot headquarters became the first building in Emeryville, California to achieve LEED Platinum certification. And globally, Clif Bar purchases only Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, which helps conserve the habitat of threatened plant and animal species.
“Clif supports a way of life that enhances health and fitness, and enriches people’s experience,” Flagg said. “This socially conscious company has proven it is possible to build a thriving business while making a positive difference in the world.”
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Tom Henry, of Boston's Landry's Bicycles, accepts the 2013 Clay Mankin Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Cycling Industry. The award was presented by Gary Sjoquist, QBP advocacy director.
