Hanover-based Utz Brands, a branded salty snacks manufacturer, recently released its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report.
Fiscal year 2023 ended Dec. 31. The report highlights strides the company has made since the 2022 report toward its ESG goals.
Highlights include:
Utz made progress reducing its carbon emissions. It achieved this by developing a comprehensive environmental policy, minimizing food waste contributions to landfills, network optimization, and more efficient distribution strategies.
Utz’s work force diversity initiatives were designed to foster an inclusive work environment that prioritizes the well-being and development of its associates, and create equal opportunities and representation across all levels of the business.
The company’s corporate governance framework promotes ethical decision-making, accountability, and transparency.
“We are executing well on our distribution growth opportunities, which we expect will continue into 2025 and beyond,” Utz CEO Howard Friedman said, regarding the company’s 2024 financial outlook. “However, our consumption trends in the third quarter to date moderated more than we expected due to a more competitive promotional environment, primarily in response to consumer value-seeking behavior.”
Utz Brands has multiple manufacturing facilities throughout the Unite States. Its growing customer base includes clubs, convenience stores, drug stores, grocery stores, mass merchandisers, and other channels.