ion, but in truth at the present time the company has a talented group of people committed to producing a high-quality product. The product mission for Ben & Jerry's is to make great ice cream, and the company combines this with a social mission to serve the community as it conducts business. This dual mission is very appealing to many members of the public, and this is all the more so given that the ice cream is a high-quality product that would have an appeal in any case. The company has made clear that it is committed to supporting minority-owned businesses and that doing so will not only not compromise its quality, it will enhance it. Ben & Jerry's buys peaches from African-American farmers in Georgia for its Fresh Georgia Peach, berries from Native Americans for Wild Maine Blueberry, nuts from the Amazon rain forest for Rainforest Crunch, and dairy products from local farmers at above market prices to support family farms.
The company uses a 7-to-1 formula for salaries, setting the limits of the highest-paid employee to 7 times that of the lowest paid full-time employee. This reduces tensions within the company and prevents it from becoming top-heavy in terms of salaries. The company donates 7.5 percent of its revenues to the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, a unit which supports various social causes. The company pays very little for advertising and instead has chosen nontraditional means of promotion, such as 4 large outdoor festivals and an annual shareholder's party in the summer. Each annual report contains a social audit in addition to a financial report. The company's factory in Vermont has been a leading tourist attraction for the state. Ben of Ben & Jerry's has stated: "Business has a responsibility to give back to the community." That is precisely what Ben & Jerry's continues to try to do (Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies 1993-1994, 1994, 157).
The unusual nature of the company was underscored recently ...