Merck, a biopharmaceutical company based in Rahway, has been ranked No. 1 on Newsweek’s annual list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for the second consecutive year. The ranking was determined by Newsweek in collaboration with Statista, which analyzed 2,000 of the largest public companies in the United States by revenue. The top 600 companies were ranked based on corporate responsibility factors such as environmental, social, and governance metrics.
Merck secured the top position for 2025 with a score of 97.83 out of 100. General Mills followed closely with a score of 96.85, while Illumina came third with a score of 92.56.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethics and integrity,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and CEO of Merck. “A firm belief in the importance of operating responsibly is at the heart of who we are as a company, and we will continue to demonstrate this core value as we work to deliver on our purpose of saving and improving lives.”
In addition to its top spot on Newsweek's list, Merck also achieved first place in its industry on CNBC and JUST Capital’s list of America’s Most JUST Companies and Barron’s list of the 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies.
Overall, 21 New Jersey-based companies made it onto Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies rankings for 2025. Among these were NJBIA members such as PSEG headquartered in Newark; Church & Dwight based in Ewing; Prudential located in Newark; and New Jersey American Water from Camden.
