Gordon Food Service - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Gordon Food Service is Lower Risk.

Gordon Food Service is Lower Risk. The company does not yield to political activism in shaping corporate governance, preventing initiatives that potentially alienate consumers, divide employees, and harm shareholders. Gordon Food Service implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Overall, the company does not embrace corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues. This approach protects free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	Medium Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Gordon Food Service has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (1)(2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Gordon Food Service does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. The company’s charitable giving focus areas are “to address hunger, housing, healthcare or education in the areas we serve” (1)(2).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Gordon Food Service appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its hiring and mentorship program. From its 2023 Stewardship Report: “Gordon Food Service has a robust internship program, hiring a diverse group of interns to provide them professional experience, mentoring and networking”. The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain: “We are focused on growing and developing partnerships to build a diverse supply chain. We are building a network that prioritizes and celebrates the diverse voices and stories of supplier partners across our entire organization” (1). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (2)(3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Gordon Food Service supports DEI within its business practices, hosting DEI Action Teams (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 Stewardship Report: “We are also proud of how our diversity, equity and inclusion mission has been embraced by our team members across North America” (2). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Gordon Food Service using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Gordon Food Service has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Gordon Food Service does not operate a PAC at this time and has not used its lobbying for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).