Round Three Photography
Minnesota-based biota Landscapes is now a Certified B Corporation— making it the first landscape design, construction, and horticultural services firm in the Midwest to earn the the sustainability certification from B Lab, the nonprofit behind the global B Corp movement.
B Corp Certification verifies that a company fulfills high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability—and requires a legal commitment to consider the impact of decisions on employees, clients, community, and the environment, not just the bottom line.
For biota, the certification validates a model the firm has built since its founding: “Design → Build → Lifetime Care”—a continuous, stewardship-driven approach which ensures landscapes don’t just perform on day one but continue to mature and improve.
“You can’t separate a truly great landscape from the principles behind it,” says Steve Modrow, co-founder of biota Landscapes. “The way we approach design, the plants we select, the enduring relationships we cultivate with every property—that’s always meant something beyond just how things look. B Corp Certification puts a recognized standard to what we’ve believed all along.”
A Study in Environmental Leadership
Courtesy of biota Landscapes
Environmental leadership is central to biota’s operations. Since 2021, the company headquarters has run entirely on solar energy, generating over 168 MWh of clean energy to date (roughly equivalent to the annual energy use of about 15 average U.S. homes). That same renewable power drives battery-operated horticulture equipment across its fleet. Its landscape designs prioritize native plantings, rain gardens, permeable paving, and chemical-free maintenance.
Community investment has been part of biota’s identity since 2005—through tree planting in storm-impacted neighborhoods, garden and play space installations within underserved communities, and ongoing support for local nonprofits.
“This certification reflects how we’ve always run the business—with accountability to more than the bottom line,” adds Jim Saybolt, co-founder of biota Landscapes. “It’s not a finish line. It’s a public commitment to keep improving across every part of how we operate: how we treat our team, how we serve our clients, and how we show up for our community.”
Read this next: How Minnesota Leads in Sustainable Housing
|
|
|
