Suppliers
There is no specific policy relating to how large a proportion of total purchases must be made from local suppliers. Due to the Group’s decentralized structure, the selection of a supplier is always conducted at a local level. However, if there are Group agreements in place, these are generally used.
Most of the Group’s units examine the environmental/sustainability performance of suppliers. Trelleborg’s objective for the future is to work with suppliers that support our quality requirements and business principles, and to include requirements with respect to compliance to our extended Code of Conduct in all supplier contracts. Training of all Trelleborg purchasing managers in this area is planned for the first half of 2008. The ensuing audit of suppliers will take place with the aid of self-evaluations in relation to Trelleborg’s Code of Conduct and visits, and is planned so as to prioritize the clearest risks first. Examples of such risks are chemicals, finished products and components from medium and high-risk countries, as well as natural rubber.
In 2007, the relationships with two suppliers in Turkey were discontinued due to their not holding requisite environmental licenses.