2025 BBB Torch Award for Ethics Winner

Polaris Automation is proud to be recognized as a 2025 Winner of the BBB Torch Award for Ethics, a prestigious honor celebrating organizations that lead with character, transparency, and a deep commitment to doing what’s right. For our team, this award reflects much more than a moment of recognition—it reinforces the way we’ve chosen to operate for decades.

As a 100% employee-owned company, our commitment to ethics is woven into every part of our culture. Ownership is not just a financial structure for us—it’s a mindset. Every team member is accountable for upholding our values, strengthening our relationships, and carrying forward the trust our clients and community place in us.

As part of the celebration, our Chairman and CEO, Scott Cooke, went live on NBC4’s Columbus Living with Crystal Mazza to share more about the award and what it means for Polaris. Watch the NBC4 segment HERE!

The BBB also created a special promo video highlighting Polaris Automation as a Torch Award winner, featuring footage and storytelling about who we are and why we stood out. Watch the BBB highlight video HERE!

What the BBB Torch Award for Ethics Represents

The BBB Torch Award for Ethics recognizes organizations whose leadership and practices:

• Demonstrate high personal character
• Build trust through ethical decision-making
• Empower teams to act with integrity
• Put people and communities first

At Polaris Automation, these principles aren’t aspirational—they are our
operating system.

Leading With Transparency and Purpose

We believe that ethical business begins with clarity of purpose and open communication. Our leadership team models this every day through
intentional, transparent practices:

Weekly leadership alignment:
Every Monday, our leaders meet to set priorities, ask tough questions, and ensure decisions are grounded in shared understanding—not hierarchy.
Quarterly Owners’ Meetings: Because every employee is an owner, we
openly share financial performance, strategic direction, and future goals with the entire team.

Active listening & debate:
We invite diverse perspectives, encourage thoughtful debate, and view questions as opportunities—not challenges.

These practices reinforce a culture where trust is earned through clarity, humility, and accountability.

Employee Ownership That Builds Trust

Our Three Uniques, as defined in our EOS Vision Document, guide how we behave and how we serve:

1. 100% Employee-Owned
Ownership fuels accountability. Our team members think long-term,
collaborate deeply, and make decisions that reflect pride in what we’re building together.

2. Boldly Transparent
We practice radical clarity—sharing context behind decisions, discussing challenges openly, and ensuring every owner understands how their work contributes to our future.

3. Servant Mindset
We lead with humility and put people first—internally and externally. Doing what is right for our clients and community always takes precedence over what is easy.

Ethics in Action: How We Serve Our Customers

Our customer relationships are built on honesty, reliability, and proactive communication. We pride ourselves on:

• Empowering engineers to address issues immediately—fixing problems first, paperwork later.
• Setting clear expectations around scope, timelines, and deliverables
• Conducting formal debriefs and Client Business Reviews to reflect, improve, and strengthen relationships.
• Being transparent about risks, challenges, and resource needs—even when those conversations are difficult.

This approach has earned us decades-long partnerships built on trust,
results, and shared success.

Committed to Community Impact

Ethics extend beyond our client work and into the communities where we live and serve. Polaris Automation actively supports initiatives that reflect our values:

STEM education & robotics competitions:
Sponsoring and volunteering to inspire future innovators

Anti-trafficking initiatives:
Supporting efforts that protect the most vulnerable

Employee-championed causes:
Backing nonprofits meaningful to our team members Industry knowledge-sharing – Hosting roundtables and participating in podcasts/webinars

Local engagement:
Partnering with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and other regional organizations

We believe service should be hands-on, heartfelt, and aligned with the
passions of our people.

A Recognition of Who We Are

Receiving the 2025 BBB Torch Award for Ethics is a meaningful milestone for Polaris Automation—but it also feels like a reflection of what has always defined us: ownership, humility, transparency, and a genuine commitment to people.

Ethics are not a program or a policy here.
They are our identity.

And as we continue to grow, innovate, and serve manufacturers across the country, we remain committed to building a company that leads with integrity—every decision, every project, every day.