Knife River Corporation (KNF) — ESG & Values Scores

Environment story

Knife River operates in aggregates, ready-mix concrete, asphalt, and contracting services with material exposure to operational emissions from mining, manufacturing, and transportation. The company acknowledges environmental compliance obligations under Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA, and CERCLA. California operations require GHG reporting beginning 2026 (Scope 1&2) and 2027 (Scope 3). No disclosed net-zero target year, quantified Scope 1/2/3 emissions, or renewable energy percentage. Environmental remediation liability exists at Portland Harbor Superfund Site where company is named PRP. Company states 'environment' is a core value and references upcoming 2025 Sustainability Report (not yet published in source documents). Absence of disclosed carbon reduction targets, emissions baselines, and quantified decarbonization investments results in material scoring deductions.

Criticisms on file

Portland Harbor Superfund Site liability: Knife River-Northwest named as PRP by EPA for commercial property acquired 1999. Environmental contamination and remediation obligations present.
Source: KNF 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors / Environmental Regulations section
No disclosed Scope 1, Scope 2, or Scope 3 emissions baselines despite operating 208 aggregate sites, 135 ready-mix plants, 55 asphalt plants, and significant fleet operations (1,150 ready-mix trucks, multiple dump trucks, rail and barge transport).
Source: KNF 10-K Business Overview and Products/Services sections
No disclosed net-zero target year or decarbonization roadmap despite 'environment' listed as core value.
Source: KNF 10-K Item 1 Business section

Disclosed initiatives

Environmental Compliance & Reclamation Programs

Company subject to federal and state environmental regulations including Mine Safety and Health Administration oversight, EPA Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act compliance, and state-level permitting. Professional environmental staff with reporting to regional operations leaders. Regular audits of operating activities and environmental permit compliance reviews during acquisitions.

Establishes baseline compliance framework but does not represent decarbonization infrastructure investment.
California Air Quality Reporting (Future)

Beginning 2026, company required to publicly report Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions for California operations. Beginning 2027, Scope 3 reporting required for 2026 data.

Regulatory reporting requirement, not voluntary decarbonization commitment. Will enable future baseline assessment.
2025 Sustainability Report (Pending Publication)

Company indicates 2025 Sustainability Report to be published Q1 2026 but full content not disclosed in 10-K filing.

Potential source for detailed environmental metrics and targets once published; cannot be scored on unreleased document.

Social story

Knife River employs 5,298 full-time employees (peak seasonal ~6,900) across 14 states with 599 unionized hourly workers (11.3% union representation) and 3,589 non-union hourly workers. Union relationships characterized as 'good' with 39 collective-bargaining agreements, two in active negotiation. Majority of CBAs contain no-strike/binding-arbitration provisions. Company reports EEO/Affirmative Action Policy compliance and commitment to equal employment opportunity. Managerial/supervisory workforce averages 15-year tenure indicating retention strength. Comprehensive benefits provided including medical, dental, vision, wellness, retirement, life insurance. Company operates state-of-the-art training facility and has expanded internship programs and leadership development. Diversity metrics (executive/board women%, URG%, pay gaps) not disclosed in 10-K. CEO-to-worker pay ratio not disclosed. Turnover rate not disclosed. No documented supply-chain labor audits or human-rights assessments disclosed.

Criticisms on file

No disclosed CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio despite executive compensation disclosures in proxy statements. Inability to assess pay equity implications.
Source: KNF 10-K lacks disclosed CEO pay ratio
No disclosed gender diversity percentage for executive leadership or board. No disclosed racial/ethnic underrepresented group (URG) percentages for workforce or leadership.
Source: KNF 10-K Item 1 Employees section lacks diversity metrics
No disclosed employee turnover rate, making assessment of workforce retention sustainability difficult.
Source: KNF 10-K does not disclose turnover metrics
No documented supply-chain labor audits, human-rights impact assessments, or modern slavery statement disclosed despite operating contracting services and procurement operations.
Source: KNF 10-K lacks supply-chain ethics disclosures

Disclosed initiatives

Competitive Market-Based Compensation with Performance Incentives

Compensation programs designed around competitive market pay plus incentive structure aligned with company financial performance and individual employee performance.

Market-competitive pay structure without disclosed benchmarking vs. peer or median-worker ratios.
Comprehensive Employee Benefits

Full-time employees eligible for medical, dental, vision insurance; physical, mental, financial wellness programs; paid/unpaid leave; retirement plans; life insurance; disability/accident coverage; voluntary benefits customization.

Standard benefits package; scope and generosity not quantified against peer comparators.
Knife River Training Center & Workforce Development

State-of-the-art training facility for classroom education and hands-on skills training across company. Ongoing leadership development courses, Coaches Clinics, Coaching for Success training for front-line and mid-level management. Annual compliance training with ~100% office staff participation in 2025. Expanded internship program.

Demonstrates significant investment in human capital development and skills advancement.
'People' Core Value & Talent Retention Strategy

Company prioritizes workforce development, talent acquisition, succession planning. Promotion-from-within philosophy with job mobility, mentorships, and advancement at all levels. Managerial/supervisory average tenure of 15 years.

Indicates strong internal career progression and retention culture.
'I Choose Safety' Initiative (2025)

New safety program launched in 2025 emphasizing that working safely is a choice and all injuries preventable. Uses three Ts framework (Tools, Training, Time). Ongoing education and site visits to reinforce safety culture.

Demonstrates operational safety investment; specific injury rate metrics not disclosed in filing.

Governance story

Knife River is an independent public company listed on NYSE under ticker KNF, spun off from MDU Resources on May 31, 2023. Company operates under a single-class voting structure (no dual-class share disparity disclosed). Board independence percentage not disclosed in 10-K. No disclosed lobbying expenditures, PAC contributions, or advocacy positions on climate/consumer-protection regulation disclosed in filing. Company is subject to standard SEC, EPA, and state-level regulatory oversight. No active antitrust proceedings, major consumer-safety litigation, or financial-fraud regulatory proceedings disclosed. Environmental Superfund liability (Portland Harbor PRP designation) represents historical remediation obligation but not active governance failure. Two of 39 collective-bargaining agreements in active negotiation (labor relations matter, not governance failure). No disclosed shareholder proposals, say-on-pay votes, or governance controversies in 10-K.

Criticisms on file

Board independence percentage not disclosed in 10-K. Unable to assess compliance with governance best practices (target >75-80% independence).
Source: KNF 10-K does not disclose board composition or independence percentage
No disclosed lobbying expenditures or advocacy positions on environmental regulation, climate policy, or consumer-protection standards. Inability to assess alignment/misalignment with stated environmental values.
Source: KNF 10-K lacks lobbying disclosure or political engagement disclosures
No disclosed shareholder proposals, say-on-pay voting results, or governance controversies in 10-K filing.
Source: KNF 10-K does not reference proxy contests or shareholder activism

Disclosed initiatives

Executive Sustainability Committee

Regular review of environmental and sustainability disclosures by executive-level committee with reporting and accountability to regional operations leaders.

Indicates governance oversight of ESG matters but specific charter, composition, and independence not disclosed.
Environmental Due Diligence in M&A

Thorough audits of operating activities and in-depth property and environmental permit compliance reviews during potential acquisitions. Professional environmental staff oversight.

Risk management practice for acquisition integration; standard in industry.
EEO/Affirmative Action Policy

Company maintains documented EEO/Affirmative Action Policy ensuring employees are not discriminated against. Commitment to meet or exceed EEO and affirmative action laws, directives and legislation.

Standard compliance framework; no forward-looking diversity targets or accountability metrics disclosed.

These are Missionomics' own editorial scores — directional signals built from disclosed facts under a published method, not certifications or definitive ratings of Knife River Corporation. Coverage and confidence vary by data point, and figures can lag real-world changes. Read the full Methodology for sourcing, scoring, and correction details — or open Knife River Corporation in the app for interactive charts and portfolio building.

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