Ramsey, N.J. – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leading provider of advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop, today announced that their parent company – Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. – has been awarded with SAM Silver Class for the second consecutive year.

The Sustainable Asset Management Group (SAM), based in Switzerland, is an investment boutique focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing.  Every year, SAM invites the world's largest 2,500 companies to participate in the Corporate Sustainability Assessment, and results are analyzed in terms of economic, environmental and social issues with a focus on long-term value creation.  SAM has released its annual "Sustainability Yearbook 2011" in which 103 companies are awarded with Gold Class, 92 companies including Konica Minolta Holdings with Silver Class, and 77 companies with Bronze Class.

Konica Minolta regards corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a critical part of our corporate management itself and aims at pursuing and creating new "values" sought by the society.  For the second year in a row, the company's group-wide efforts, including mid to long-term initiatives to reduce environmental impact and strengthening corporate governance, have received global recognition as a leading company that contributes to a sustainable earth and society.

"Konica Minolta believes that the SAM Silver Class accolade reflects its group-wide commitment toward social and environmental consideration," says Kevin Kern, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.  "Konica Minolta will continue to impress upon its global customers, stakeholders, business partners, and employees that they can count on Konica Minolta to create new businesses that support global environment initiatives, and contribute to the sustainable development of human society."

In addition to the SAM Silver Class accreditation, Konica Minolta has been selected in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World by Canada-based Corporate Knights Inc. and included in Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index by Dow Jones and SAM Group, FTSE4Good Global Index of the UK-based FTSE Group, and the Japan-based Morningstar Socially Responsible Investment Index.