Tag: 3BL

MONTREAL, June 28, 2024 /3BL/ – Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL: TSX and NYSE) (“Gildan” or the “Company”) is pleased to share that it has been recognized as one of the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights for the third consecutive year. Gildan is the only company in the Textiles & Clothing Manufacturing peer group to be included. In addition, Gildan has been included in the inaugural edition of TIME’s World Most Sustainable Companies, and is one of only 12 Canadian companies featured on this global list.

“We are proud to be included in the rankings of these reputable organizations, especially as we celebrate 20 years of sustainability reporting this summer,” says Glenn Chamandy, President and CEO of Gildan. “These recognitions are a testament to our steadfast commitment to ESG, which represents one of the three pillars of our Gildan Sustainable Growth strategy and which is focused on our efforts towards creating a more sustainable future.”

Corporate Knights’ ranking of the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada is based on their assessment of all Canadian publicly traded, privately owned and Crown corporations with gross annual revenues over CAD $1 billion. Each corporation is evaluated on a set of up to 25 key performance indicators such as carbon emissions and aspirations for greater social equity.

TIME’s inaugural edition of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2024 identifies the top 500 companies from over 5,000 of the world’s largest and most influential companies, assessed on over 20 key data points. Performance is measured against ESG rankings such as (but not limited to): CDP, SBTi, S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook, the level of sustainability reporting alignment with GRI, SASB, and TCFD, in addition to KPIs such as emissions and energy intensity, health and safety, gender diversity in leadership, and gender pay equity.

Corporate Knights’ full ranking is available here.

TIME’s full ranking is available here.

About Gildan

Gildan is a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel. The Company’s product offering includes activewear, underwear and socks, sold to a broad range of customers, including wholesale distributors, screenprinters or embellishers, as well as to retailers that sell to consumers through their physical stores and/or e-commerce platforms and to global lifestyle brand companies. The Company markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, under a strong portfolio of Company-owned brands including Gildan®, American Apparel®, Comfort Colors®, GOLDTOE®, and Peds®.

Gildan owns and operates vertically integrated, large-scale manufacturing facilities which are primarily located in Central America, the Caribbean, North America, and Bangladesh. Gildan operates with a strong commitment to industry-leading labour, environmental, and governance practices throughout its supply chain in accordance with its comprehensive ESG program embedded in the Company’s long-term business strategy. More information about the Company and its ESG practices and initiatives can be found at www.gildancorp.com. 
 

Investor inquiries:

Jessy Hayem, CFA
Vice-President, Head of Investor Relations 
(514) 744-8511 
jhayem@gildan.com 

Media inquiries:

Genevieve Gosselin 
Director, Global Communications and Corporate Marketing 
(514) 343-8814 
communications@gildan.com

Did you know that Henkel North America employs approximately 8,000 employees in more than 65 sites across the U.S. and Canada? Collectively, these sites support two business units: Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands.

Our #AViewFrom series features select locations, sharing information and facts about our sites across Henkel North America.

If you’ve ever enjoyed soda or sparkling water from an aluminum can, driven an electric vehicle (EV), or flown in an airplane, you can thank employees at this Henkel site for their contributions in making those products possible. Here, a lean and efficient team manufactures lubricants, dispersions, and surface treatments used in metal packaging, EV battery production, and metal cleaning and finishing. Learn more in this segment of #AViewFrom: Delaware, OH.

Just a short drive from Ohio’s capital city of Columbus sits the town of Delaware, where a longstanding 130,000 sq. ft. Henkel production site runs 24 hours a day, five days a week. Here, Henkel employees are manufacturing a variety of BONDERITE® brand chemistries including release lubricants used in metal can manufacturing; surface treatment and metal cleaning formulas for metal forming production, sheets, stamping, and others; and unique graphite products that are a vital enabler of electric vehicle (EV) lithium-ion batteries. Serving the company’s automotive, metal packaging, aerospace, and electronics businesses, about 60 employees in production, material handling, engineering, maintenance, safety, and quality are dedicated to enabling customers’ operations, Henkel brand excellence, and coworker success.

The products we manufacture are essential for all types of modern-day conveniences and transportation technologies.

Dave Bryant, Operations Director

“Our customers are making millions of aluminum cans daily. Henkel’s release lubricants help their equipment release the cans from the molds efficiently at extremely high speeds; high-volume manufacturing would be impossible without them. Also unique to this site are our graphite dispersion formulations and processes. These dispersions are special because they do not allow the graphite to settle over time allowing our customers to have the highest quality dispersion throughout their process. We are one of a few facilities globally that have mastered the complexity of this technique, which is exclusive to Henkel, and a significant contributor to several advanced technologies, most notably EV batteries,” explains Operations Director Dave Bryant.

Built in 1954 by the Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company (Pennsalt), Henkel took over the Delaware, OH site in 2001 after acquiring Atofina’s metal treatment business. Since then, the facility has undergone several expansions, investments, and added new processes to its capabilities. Ongoing improvements have seen the addition of new equipment to the factory and enhanced sustainability efforts. Engineering and Maintenance Manager Tim Moore, a 30-year Henkel employee, comments on the latest initiatives designed to save water and capture operational metrics.

We are integrating a next-generation chiller to enable water reuse, which will result in the conservation of a million gallons of water per year. The Delaware site has also installed Sensorfact energy management software to monitor and report data such as energy use, water and gas consumption, equipment maintenance requirements, and plant temperature and humidity. This will be tremendous for measuring and assessing our efficiency for sustainable manufacturing.

Tim Moore, Engineering and Maintenance Manager

TEAM BUILDING, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY COMMITMENT:

Ask any Delaware employee, and they will tell you the culture is just different here. Kind-hearted, generous people who care about their coworkers, community, and their employer, make up the team at this Henkel plant. Production Manager Kenny Mouton joined the Henkel family earlier this year and felt welcomed from the start. “The staff here is authentic, down to earth, and so encouraging. I’m still learning and have been guided and trained with exceptional professionalism and positivity. Every day is different, and everyone is committed to excellence. I really enjoy working here.”

Quality Manager Tara Franklin oversees incoming raw material and outgoing product quality testing, and she also spearheads many of Delaware’s team building and employee appreciation endeavors. Tara ensures birthdays are celebrated and that notable events like the recent solar eclipse bring the team together for fun. The site also supports the local community, participating in Christmas clothing drives, among other activities, and recently donating Henkel products to local families impacted by a devastating tornado. “People needed cleaning supplies, so we donated Persil® brand laundry detergent and Dial® brand hand soap,” Tara recounts. “It was heartening to be able to help those affected with products our company makes.”

DID YOU KNOW?

One of the Triple Crowns of horse racing is held annually in Delaware, OH. It’s most likely not the Triple Crown you may be familiar with, but a unique contest called the Little Brown Jug, which is one of the jewels in the Triple Crown of harness racing.

“Say ‘yes’ whenever you can. Get out of your comfort zone daily. Lead by example, network frequently, join committees—and above all else—maintain a positive, can-do mindset.”

Words of wisdom on jumpstarting a career from one of our hospitality leaders Kimberly Hoffmann (INHC). And she knows a thing or two about building a successful and empowered career.

For Kimberly, wellness isn’t just her livelihood, it’s her passion. In just five short years at Kohler Hospitality, she’s lived and breathed her wellness mission—and accomplished A LOT:

200 hour certified yoga instructor through Yoga on the Lake’s training programEarly ambassador of Kohler’s Press + Chill cold-pressed juice brandIntegrative nutritional health coachCertified in Reiki energy healingPromoted to manager of Awakening Juicery + Coffee BarLeader in wellness seminars and retreats hosted by Destination KohlerPlus, her latest project, the launch of the Foundry Cat, Kohler’s newest coffee stop branded after a mythical cat with nine lives residing in our factories for more than a century.

“Yoga on the Lake was just the beginning. It opened my eyes to my love of yoga, wellness, and the incredible community connection that Kohler offers,” she said. “Five years later, I’m still consistently challenged, appreciated, inspired, and motivated by new opportunities.”

And, she isn’t slowing down. Kimberly lends her knowledge to fellow associates, facilitating “Mindfulness Monday” and lunchtime coffee sessions covering health and wellness skills. She also brings her passion and energy to the community as the current vice president of our Young Professionals of Kohler business resource group and as a volunteer for local non-profits.

“I want to be the light when someone is going through darkness. I want to help people understand that their healing is in their hands and bring awareness to the multiple modalities of healing that they can access daily.”

So much inspiration in five years.

ERGs Unplugged is our internal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) podcast, where we take a deeper dive into the power of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). In our third episode, PRISM (our LGBTQIA+ ERG) members Avery Springe and Taran Neiderman share their experiences and discuss how the ERG has influenced them both personally and professionally.

Avery Springe shares an inspiring story of how he utilized his community in PRISM, our LGBTQIA+ ERG, to pioneer a change in policy—giving all individuals access to a gender-neutral bathroom no matter what state they reside in.

For Taran Neidermann having an employee who encourages them to be their true self has been life-changing. Above, they share how they found support through their participation in PRISM.

To learn more about our commitment to DE&I visit: Maximus.com/DEI

KFC

Bucket hats off to KFC Thailand for the launch of KFC Classroom – Thailand’s first-ever flexible learning curriculum designed to boost vocational and entrepreneurial skills among school dropouts. With hands-on experience at KFC restaurants, young people can balance work and study, equipping themselves with crucial skills for the future.

It’s all part of KFC Thailand’s Bucket Search Program, which has reintegrated 130 school dropouts into the education system since 2023, igniting their passions and guiding them toward fulfilling careers.

Here’s to building a brighter future where no potential goes untapped!

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

Tomme Beevas’ story starts in Kingston, Jamaica, where he soaked up inspiration from his grandmother, who loved to cook.

“My grandmother was a gregarious woman who built her own empire from scratch from the 1960s to 1980s,” Beevas said. “Growing up in her house, I had the opportunity to experience the greatest, freshest seafood one can imagine.”

In addition to teaching him how to cook, his grandmother, an entrepreneur, taught him about running a business, Beevas said.

Beevas earned an MBA and his career path took him various places, including several years in Washington, D.C., before he landed in Minneapolis in 2006.

Beevas has opened Pimento, a Jamaican food pop-up in 2012, opened his first brick-and-mortar Pimento location in 2013 and has since grown to five locations, most recently with the launch in 2023 of Pimento on the Lake, located on lake Bde Maka Ska.

“What it means for me to be a small business owner is to be an instrument of economic liberation to provide job opportunities for our community,” Beevas said. “What made me become a small business owner was the need to represent my culture and bring my food to the market.”

 Pimento on the Lake

In order to create Pimento on the Lake, Beevas needed affordable capital, he said.

He had long been a U.S. Bank customer, working in recent years with Business Access Advisor Tim Farrow, and reached out for assistance as he sought affordable capital.

Challenges with Beevas’ relatively small business coupled with the affordability of the capital he would need prompted U.S. Bank subsidiary U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance to collaborate with a local Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), on a patient capital investment. This enabled Beevas to receive capital in a financing structure that benefits both him and his newly created entity.

“Impact Finance is a strong supporter of CDFIs because we recognize the critical role they play in bringing investment to underserved communities, especially those that may not be eligible for traditional business financing,” said Jimmie Howlett, Impact Finance impact capital manager. “We are pleased that we could work with both MEDA and Tomme to help him achieve his business goals.”

In August 2023, Impact Finance closed on the investment with MEDA to successfully expand Pimento on the Lake. Beevas opened two months later.

“Access to capital can be challenging for small and minority owned businesses,” Beevas said. “If U.S. Bank hadn’t stepped up, this wouldn’t have been a reality.”

Adrian Ruddock, vice president of lending and business consulting services at MEDA, said U.S. Bank has been a major participant in this deal.

“I tell our clients all the time that banks, CDFIs and small business owners must figure out collaborative, alternative ways to work together and provide a holistic approach to the entrepreneur so they can walk through the life of a loan,” Ruddock said.

Eight months after opening, Pimento on the Lake is beginning to see a greater uptick in customers, Beevas said, especially as the Minnesota summer weather kicks in.

“I believe my experiences are an opportunity and seed to ensure other businesses like Pimento can have access and resources,” he said.

For more about Beevas’ story, watch the video above.

Originally published on HBI Sustains

As part of an agreement with FESA, with a goal to prevent youth violence in socially vulnerable areas of the country, in 2014 HanesBrands ground on its sports complex “Viviendo Verde” (Green for Good) at its Textiles and Socks site in San Juan Opico, El Salvador. Funded by its Green for Good program, the complex now consists of a high-quality soccer field, basketball courts and volleyball fields.

HanesBrands launched its global Green for Good program in 2010 – a unique project that uses savings from its recycling efforts to fund vital community improvement projects. 

“We know that by promoting sports, we contribute to shaping better citizens, who are more committed to the principles of teamwork, solidarity and discipline, and will hold strong values necessary to build a better El Salvador,” said Ingrid Sánchez Landos, superintendent of sustainability – HanesBrands El Salvador.

This partnership creates opportunities where local schools lack sports infrastructure. For both soccer academies, FESA provided all the support for sports training, including physical trainers, nutritionists and psychologists, to foster the resilience and values of the students.

“This was the first time that FESA launched a soccer school in alliance with a textile company in these locations,” said Jorge Bahaia, president of FESA.

More than a dozen students from HanesBrands’ soccer schools have demonstrated strong athletic abilities and now are playing in the professional national league, with five of them receiving school and university grants.

Mauricio Guzmán, a seventh grader at FESA’s high-performing school for athletes said, “We are thankful to HanesBrands for granting us the opportunity to improve our athletic performance while we play, learn values, and help us reach our dreams.”

HanesBrands wants to build on decades of effort and continue being a positive force within our global communities, where 48,000 of us live, work and play. This important community work is an integral part of how we will contribute to improving the lives of at least 10 million people by 2030.

As the global demand for sustainable practices continues to grow alongside emerging regulation such as EUDR, ensuring environmental sustainability within various industries has never been more crucial. We are excited to share insights from our recent Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative Webinar Series, where we introduced the new Environmental Sustainability Benchmark. This benchmark, designed by the industry for the industry, aims to build trust, confidence, and clarity in expected standards across vital areas, including farming, forestry, and manufacturing.

In this informative session, held on June 20, 2024, industry leaders and experts came together to discuss the significance and development of the new benchmark. The webinar featured insights from representatives of the International Fresh Produce Association, Naturipe Farms and IDH (the Sustainable Trade Initiative). These experts provided valuable perspectives on the benchmark’s core topics, its implications for industry schemes, and the collaborative efforts involved in its creation.

Key Highlights:

Benchmark Genesis and Significance: The webinar began with an explanation of the benchmark’s genesis and its relevance in today’s regulatory landscape, especially with emerging EUDR regulations.Industry-Driven Design: Speakers highlighted the industry-driven design of the benchmark, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in setting and maintaining high sustainability standards.Scheme Alignment and Next Steps: Practical guidance was provided on how industry schemes can align with the benchmark criteria, with a focus on opportunities for benchmarking and recognition to support continuous improvement.Interactive Q&A Session: Attendees had the opportunity to engage with the panelists, ask questions, and gain deeper insights into the practical applications and benefits of the benchmark.

To learn more about the new environmental sustainability benchmark, download the criteria, and apply for recognition, visit benchmark.tcgfssci.com.

Press play to watch the full webinar recording and gain valuable insights into the future of environmental sustainability in our industry.

By using recognised schemes for social and environmental sustainability, businesses can benefit from the trust and assurance that SSCI Recognised standards meet the minimum requirements for sustainability as agreed upon by the industry. Join us in driving the global conversation on responsible sourcing and shaping industry expectations for a sustainable future.

PNC’s success is dependent upon our ability to create long-term value for all our stakeholders. Our unwavering focus on smart risk management and old-fashioned, relationshipbased customer service builds the foundation from which we can then engage deeply and meaningfully across the many constituencies we serve. We are active partners in strengthening our communities. We invest in building an inclusive workplace where all employees are heard and valued and can do their best work. We offer our clients practical, actionable advice for a rapidly changing world. We also provide the kind of steady, even-keeled management that gives our investors trust in our governance, management, business strategy and day-to-day operations.

It may not sound flashy, but our clients, investors, communities and employees know they can trust and rely on us to do right by them, market by market, coast to coast.

Building a more inclusive financial services system is a high priority for us and we continued to help our customers progress confidently in their financial journeys. We’re more than halfway to fulfillment of our $88 billion Community Benefits Plan to improve economic opportunities in low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities through new investments in homeownership, entrepreneurship and revitalization efforts. As of December 2023, we deployed $56 billion, nearly 64 percent of the total amount committed.

Our mobile branches completed more than 1,500 deployments, driving over 57,000 miles in 2023. This reach has positively impacted nearly 9,000 individuals through collaboration with more than 80 community organizations. We also served more than 27,447 LMI individuals via 1,584 financial education classes. And since 2021, PNC has reduced overdraft fees by more than 60 percent, saving our customers more than $672 million.

When our customers, communities, shareholders and employees flourish, we flourish. We know that being good environmental stewards is essential to supporting a high quality of life for our stakeholders. That’s why in 2023, we mobilized more than $7 billion in client environmental financing, cumulatively bringing us to $22.9 billion toward our $30 billion Environmental Finance Pledge. In addition, 2023 marks the first time that we disclosed our financed emissions using the methodology available through our membership in the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF).

None these accomplishments would be possible without the dedication and strength of PNC’s 56,000-plus colleagues across the company who work each day to deliver for all our stakeholders.

Highlights for 2023 include:

5,000+ employees have enrolled in academic programs though PNC’s education benefit since the program expansion in late 202283,433 volunteer hours were completed by employees5,243 employees served as Certified Women’s Business Advocates31% of employees participated in PNC’s Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs)$56 billion of PNC’s $88 billion Community Benefits Plan has been deployed in the first two years of the plan, including:$38.3 billion to affordable homeownership (of $47 billion commitment)$9.8 billion to small business loans (of $26.5 billion commitment)$7.9 billion to community financing (of $14.5 billion commitment)$249.8 million in charitable giving (of $500 million commitment)$352.3 million spent with diverse suppliers (Tier 1 and Tier 2)1,500 mobile branch deployments traveled over 57,000 miles and impacted nearly 9,000 individuals1,584 financial education classes reached 27,447 in low- and moderate-income (LMI) individuals$672 million has been saved by our customers in overdraft fees using the features of Low Cash Mode® and through our pricing changes$6.48 billion in responsible investing assets were under management$22.9 billion was deployed toward our $30 billion environmental finance pledge, since the pledge announcementProgress was made on PNC’s operational targets by reducing energy use by 11%; carbon emissions by 10% and water by 4%48% of our renewable electricity purchased target was achieved (out of our 100% goal by 2025)Disclosed our financed emissions for the first timeEnhanced our capabilities related to data breach laws and regulations to PNC’s privacy program.Expanded our customer awareness campaign across online, social media and digital banking channels, helping customers recognize and prevent potential threats. This includes new content and alerts within the Zelle® experience in our mobile app and on our website, to help customers identify common peer-to-peer payment scams.

Media Contact: Kristen Pillitteri, SVP, Communications Director, Corporate Responsibility

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In this episode of ESG Talk, Brett Weaver, tax leader for the ESG Practice at KPMG US, joins Workiva’s Andie Wood to discuss everyone’s favorite topic. Together they explore how tax acts as both a driver and measure of sustainability, taking advantage of green tax incentives, and the different approaches to tax policy in the United States and Europe.

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ESG Talk is brought to you by Workiva, the world’s only unified platform for financial reporting, ESG, audit, and risk. Learn more at workiva.com.