Earlier this week, The Observer’s Good Companies Guide unveiled its list of the UK’s top 20 firms in the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 350 index, based on social, environmental and corporate governance criteria. The little-known Speedy Hire, an equipment rental company, made the top spot on the list for what The Observer described as “a no-nonsense approach that included jargon-free corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports.”

Speedy Hire is a relatively small company compared to most on the list, such as retailing superstore Marks & Spencer and Vodafone, the international mobile phone giant (Vodafone owns a 45% minority stake of Verizon Wireless in the U.S.).

The Observer points out that judging ethical standards is a subjective measure. However, they emphasize that companies without a “sustainable strategy” to deal with ethical risks will inevitably endure financial setbacks.

You can read the entire article as well as judge the list for yourself by heading over to The Observer.

Commentary: Although listed as the number 1 most ethical company in the UK, there’s no mention of the distinction on Speedy Hire’s ‘Awards & Recognition’ or ‘History’ sections of their website. This is compared to oilfield service company Expro, which made 19th on the list and displays the recognition clearly on their homepage (which has a very cool introductory video). It’s unclear whether Speedy Hire forgot to acknowledge the kudos altogether or decided to humbly continue with business as usual.