Brunswick Corporation Publishes 2021 Sustainability Report & Announces Hiring of Company’s First Chief Sustainability Officer
METTAWA, Ill., March 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brunswick Corporation today published its 2021 Sustainability Report, “Together for the Planet,” highlighting the Company’s industry-leading sustainability achievements, while also announcing that it has hired Jennifer Koenig as the Company’s first Chief Sustainability Officer.
The report as well as the addition of this newly created senior level position fortifies Brunswick’s ongoing commitment to advancing enterprise environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies.
“As the world’s largest recreational marine company, Brunswick is uniquely positioned to pave the way within the boating industry to implement sustainable, responsible business practices which are highlighted in our annual report,” said Dave Foulkes, Brunswick Corporation CEO. “Additionally, we are thrilled to announce that Jennifer will be joining our team as our new Chief Sustainability Officer as she brings an impressive breadth of knowledge and demonstrated success building an effective sustainability program. I look forward to working directly with Jennifer as she leads our continued efforts to implement responsible and sustainable business practices and products.”
Koenig most recently served as vice president of ESG at Stericycle, Inc. a leading provider of compliance-based solutions. In this role, she was the first dedicated leader focused on building a global ESG and sustainability program for the company. Koenig also held roles as vice president responsible for investor relations, corporate communications, and marketing at Stericycle.
“I am thrilled to join the Brunswick team and support the Company’s commitment to lead in sustainability,” said Koenig. “As the leader in the marine industry, Brunswick has made tremendous strides advancing an ESG strategy that positively impacts our communities and promotes environmental stewardship in all areas of the business.”
Brunswick’s continued leadership position in the marine industry is outlined in the Company’s 2021 Sustainability Report. The report’s 2021 ESG highlights, and accomplishments include:
- Reporting the lowest recordable incident rate in Company history (for the second consecutive year).
- Achieving zero-waste-to-landfill status at Mercury Marine’s Land ‘N’ Sea/Kellogg Marine warehouse, shipping and receiving operations in Old Lyme, Connecticut– the third Brunswick location to earn this designation.
- Introducing Brunswick’s TIDE (Together: Inclusion, Diversity and Equity) program focused on sponsoring DEI initiatives across the enterprise.
- Introducing and developing products that are expected to result in significant carbon emissions reductions, including the Fathom advanced battery system that replaces gasoline generator sets on boats and RVs and several electric propulsion products coming to market.
- Earning an “Industry Top-Rated Company” designation from Sustainalytics, a global provider of ESG ratings and research, which assessed Brunswick to be at low risk of experiencing material financial impacts from ESG factors.
In 2021, Brunswick was recognized multiple times for ESG initiatives, including being named to Forbes’ lists of America’s Best Employers for Women, America’s Best Employers for Diversity, and America’s Best Employers for Veterans. In addition, the Company was named by Newsweek to its 2022 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies and was ranked in the Top 15% on the Forbes America’s Best Large Employers list, and in the top 10 companies in the world within the Engineering and Manufacturing category.
The full report can be accessed at: https://www.brunswick.com/corporate-responsibility/sustainability
About Brunswick
Headquartered in Mettawa, Ill., Brunswick Corporation’s leading consumer brands include Mercury Marine outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; Mercury global parts and accessories including propellers and SmartCraft electronics; Advanced Systems Group, which includes industry-leading brands such as Simrad, Lowrance, C-MAP, B&G, MotorGuide, Attwood, Mastervolt, RELiON, Blue Sea Systems, CZone, and ASG Connect system integrators; Land ’N’ Sea, BLA, Payne’s Marine, Kellogg Marine, and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris, Heyday, Lowe, Lund, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Thunder Jet and Uttern boats; Boating Services Network, Freedom Boat Club and Boat Class. For more information, visit brunswick.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about Brunswick’s business and by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” "anticipate," "project," "position," “intend,” “target,” “plan,” “seek,” “estimate,” “believe,” “predict,” “outlook,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations as of the date of this news release. These risks include, but are not limited to: the effect of adverse general economic conditions, including the amount of disposable income consumers have available for discretionary spending; fiscal and monetary policy concerns; adverse capital market conditions; changes in currency exchange rates; higher energy and fuel costs; competitive pricing pressures; interest-rate risk related to our debt; the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the emergence of variant strains; actual or anticipated increases in costs, disruptions of supply, or defects in raw materials, parts, or components we purchase from third parties, including as a result of pressures due to the pandemic; supplier manufacturing constraints, increased demand for shipping carriers, and transportation disruptions; managing our manufacturing footprint; adverse weather conditions, climate change events and other catastrophic event risks; international business risks, geopolitical tensions or conflicts, sanctions, embargoes, or other regulations; our ability to develop new and innovative products and services at a competitive price; our ability to meet demand in a rapidly changing environment; loss of key customers; absorbing fixed costs in production; risks associated with joint ventures that do not operate solely for our benefit; our ability to integrate acquisitions, including Navico, and the risk for associated disruption to our business; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the Navico transaction or the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; our ability to successfully implement our strategic plan and growth initiatives; attracting and retaining skilled labor, implementing succession plans for key leadership, and executing organizational and leadership changes; our ability to identify, complete, and integrate targeted acquisitions; the risk that strategic divestitures will not provide business benefits; maintaining effective distribution; risks related to dealers and customers being able to access adequate financing; requirements for us to repurchase inventory; inventory reductions by dealers, retailers, or independent boat builders; risks related to the Freedom Boat Club franchise business model; outages, breaches, or other cybersecurity events regarding our technology systems, which could affect manufacturing and business operations and could result in lost or stolen information and associated remediation costs; our ability to protect our brands and intellectual property; changes to U.S. trade policy and tariffs; any impairment to the value of goodwill and other assets; product liability, warranty, and other claims risks; legal, environmental, and other regulatory compliance, including increased costs, fines, and reputational risks; changes in income tax legislation or enforcement; managing our share repurchases; and risks associated with certain divisive shareholder activist actions.
Additional risk factors are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2021 and in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and Brunswick does not undertake any obligation to update them to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release.
Lee Gordon Vice President – Brunswick Global Communications & Public Affairs Brunswick Office: 847-735-4003 Mercury Office: 920-924-1808 Cell: 904-860-8848 Lee.Gordon@Brunswick.com
Released March 30, 2022