Simonini Builders - Charlotte, NC

At Simonini, the company's approach to business ethics begins with its mission statement: "Attract and retain the best individuals for each position who fit within the Simonini team." As a foundation for quality and ethical work, principals and superintendents follow the Simonini "14 Points to a Better-Built-Home" model that includes certain building standards by which they operate. Simonini also produces a 250-page homeowners' "Companion Manual" that describes the details that have gone into the construction of the new home

An ethical approach to business forms the core of Simonini's policy and procedure manual - which is extensive and detailed enough to serve a much larger company. Simonini also presents vendors and subcontractors with an ethics program.

Perhaps most importantly, Simonini, through set procedures, strives to communicate plans and costs as thoroughly as possible before and during the process of building a house. This is just one of the many practices that has undoubtedly led them to a 100% customer satisfaction rate since 1998.

Rodgers Builders - Charlotte, NC

Rodgers Builders provides construction management services to health care, institutional, commercial and industrial clients in the Southeast. The company is very committed to the core of business ethics: getting the job completed properly. They have many 15 year-plus relationships with a wide variety of subcontractors and have never been involved in litigation towards or from an owner, architect or subcontractor. One reason for this is a structured four-step conflict resolution program. The company also seeks like-minded ethically oriented subcontractors. Another is the company's commitment to fixing problems that almost inevitably occur in the construction process.

Rodgers Builders president, Patricia Rodgers, states in a letter to employees: "We look for continuing opportunities to challenge ourselves and our employees to greater awareness and implementation of sound ethical business practices."

While the company's ethical approach to business may mean taking a risk with a subcontractor or losing money on a project to make sure that it's completed satisfactorily, the approach works. In addition to receiving several awards from subcontractor organizations and peer groups, over 70% of new business comes from Rodgers' network of existing clients.

Goodrich Corp. - Charlotte, NC

At Goodrich Corp., the commitment to sound business ethics begins at the top. In January, the company issued a completely rewritten 28-page booklet titled Business Code of Conduct - The Power of Integrity. On a page three, a letter to all employees from Chairman David Burner states: "Our commitment to ethical behavior at Goodrich extends beyond mere compliance with the law." It continues: "In demonstrating our social responsibility and good corporate citizenship, we need to think before we act, and then act with integrity in everything we do."

Goodrich, headquartered near the Charlotte Coliseum, produces a wide range of systems and services to the aerospace industry - commercial, space and defense. The company is clearly suffering from the general malaise in the aerospace industry yet they made time and spent the funds necessary to initiate a major new ethics thrust that included the booklet. It was part of a packet mailed to Goodrich employees world-wide. Mandatory four-hour business ethics training sessions followed. This statement from the booklet provides the essence of the program: "No employee is authorized or required to carry out any order or request to conceal or cover up an ethics violation and any employee receiving such an order or directive is duty-bound to report it."

Goodrich employs a full-time director of ethics and business conduct who reports to the vice president for internal audit. They even provide a toll-free business ethics hotline that's staffed around the clock for employees to call if troubled by a decision or action.

The company's on-going initiatives are working. In February, the company received Institutional Shareholder Services' Corporate Governance Quotient Index rating of 94.3%, outperforming 94.3% of companies in the S&P 500. Their customers are also taking notice. "Sharing values in terms of ethics, quality and trust is extremely important as we align ourselves with our customers and around common goals and objectives," said Bill Stowers, vice president of supplier management and procurement at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.