Brunswick Modern Slavery Statement
Intro
This statement relates to the 12-month period from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023. The purpose of the statement is to address Brunswick Corporation’s (“Brunswick” or “Company”) commitment to minimizing the risk of modern slavery throughout its global operations and supply chain based on the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Australia Modern Slavery Act 2018, the Norwegian Transparency Act, the Canada Modern Slavery Act and the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, collectively “Modern Slavery Acts”.
Brunswick is an ethical enterprise and expects its employees, suppliers, agents, and subcontractors to engage in lawful and ethical business practices, including refraining from slave labor and/or human trafficking. The use of slave labor or human trafficking in the manufacture of Brunswick products or components supplied to the Company is unethical, unacceptable, and entirely prohibited. Brunswick fully supports global efforts to protect human rights through ethical supply chain management.
Reporting Entity / Structure / Operations
Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) is the global leader in marine recreation, delivering innovation that transforms experiences on the water and beyond. Our unique, technology-driven solutions are informed and inspired by deep consumer insights and powered by our belief that “Next Never Rests™”. Brunswick is dedicated to industry leadership and to being a trusted partner to our many customers. Brunswick is home to more than 60 industry-leading brands.
In the category of Marine Propulsion, these brands include, Mercury Marine, Mercury Racing MerCruiser and Flite. Brunswick’s comprehensive collection of parts, accessories, distribution, and technology brands includes Mercury Parts & Accessories, Land ‘N’ Sea, BLA, Lowrance, Simrad, B&G, Mastervolt, RELiON, Attwood, and Whale.
Our boat brands are some of the best known in the world, including Boston Whaler, Lund, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Harris Pontoons, Princecraft and Quicksilver. Our service and shared-access businesses include Freedom Boat Club, Boateka and a range of financing, insurance, and extended warranty businesses. While focused primarily on the marine industry, Brunswick also successfully leverages its portfolio of advanced technologies to deliver an exceptional suite of solutions in mobile and industrial applications.
Headquartered in Mettawa, IL, USA, Brunswick has more than 17,000 employees operating in 25 countries, including the USA, UK, Norway, Canada and Australia, for manufacturing, assembly and distribution. In 2023, Brunswick was named by Forbes as a World’s Best Employer and as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek, both for the fourth consecutive year. For more information, visit https://www.brunswick.com/.
Supply Chain
Brunswick sources raw materials, components and finished goods from many countries around the world, including, but not limited to, the USA, China, Mexico, and Europe. Additionally, each facility has local suppliers for services such as facilities management, office supplies, transportation, warehousing, marketing materials, etc.
Modern Slavery Risks
Brunswick believes the risk of our operations causing, contributing to or being linked to modern slavery is low. We have robust policies in place to control our use of third-party contracting services, including restricting employment contractors from charging temporary or migrant employees or having documents taken/withheld.
However, Brunswick also acknowledges that the supply chain is complex and goes back many layers/tiers from our direct relationships. We continue to monitor our suppliers and known tier 2 and lower suppliers for potential risks. As any risks are identified, Brunswick performs additional diligence that is specific to the risk, which could include phone calls, emails, meetings, site visits, etc.
The Company solicits feedback on the supply chain through Conflict Mineral and Responsible Sourcing initiatives, as well as requires that all suppliers accept the Brunswick Supplier Code of Conduct. The Code requires that Brunswick's suppliers take steps to ensure that they meet or exceed legal requirements for compensation, working hours and working conditions and prohibits the use of child labor, forced labor or human trafficking as defined by the International Labour Organization. Further details can be found on the Brunswick website at:
https://www.brunswick.com/corporate-responsibility/brunswick-policies-practices-standards
Mitigation Efforts
In 2023, Brunswick took steps to further enhance our policies and guidelines, including updating our Anti-Forced Labor Policy to a Human Rights Policy, and making material updates to our Supplier Code of Conduct. Both policies increase the standards expected both of ourselves and our suppliers in mitigating the risk of forced and child labor throughout the supply chain.
Additionally, all suppliers were reviewed against the Sheffield Hallam University list of Companies Operating in the Uyghur Region and the list of Companies Named in Media and Academic Reports as engaging in Labour Transfers or other XUAR Government Programs – no matches were found. We continue to screen all our suppliers and customers against published governmental forced labor lists and have not found any matches.
Finally, with support from an outside service provider, we reviewed our existing policies, procedures and future plans. The report will help us lay the roadmap for further mitigation efforts over the coming months and years.
On an annual basis, Brunswick reviewed internal policies and procedures to ensure they remain relevant and sufficient to address risk of forced labor in the supply chain. In 2023, we:
- Enhanced internal policies around modern slavery and human trafficking;
- Enhanced the supplier code of conduct providing further guidance on our expectations and requirements;
- Further developed the audit and training program with the specific goal to be able to identify risks of modern slavery, child labor or human trafficking; and
- Continued to develop our modern slavery solicitation process whereby further risks of modern slavery can be detected and mitigated.
The Company continues outreach to targeted third-party suppliers as risks of forced labor are identified. Up to this point, all of those risks have been cleared.
Brunswick maintains a supplier audit requirement allowing our staff to visit suppliers and identify on-site risks of modern slavery. Any risks identified during these site visits can be reported to management, to the compliance team or anonymously through the ethics hotline.
Measurement of Success
Brunswick believes the success of our anti-forced labor program depends on continuous improvement. There is no end-point where we can stop our efforts to identify and mitigate risks. To that end, we believe that we have made material improvements to our expectations with suppliers through our updated supplier code of conduct, improved the awareness of our own employees through training and discussions, and increased expectations on ourselves through our updated Human Rights policy.
Approval
This statement is issued by Brunswick Corporation, in consultation with the various business units including those in Australia, UK, Canada and Norway, confirming that the statement is in alignment with the understanding of modern slavery risks within the supply chain.
This statement was approved by the Brunswick Board of Directors on May 1, 2024.
David Foulkes
Chief Executive Officer
Brunswick Corporation