A Thank You Letter From WRAP

A Thank You Letter From WRAP Dear Friends of WRAP, Too often, we forget to say “thank you” to those who have supported us. And that is the purpose of this message. To thank all those who have helped WRAP grow and prosper over the years. As we approach the 10-year anniversary of the founding of WRAP, we owe a great deal of thanks to the thousands of factories that have participated in the WRAP Certification Program, and to the brands and retailers across Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, the US and numerous other countries around the world that accept and rely upon our certification to meet their social and environmental compliance needs. Thank you to the United Nations, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and governments from the U.S., the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America and Asia for inviting us to be part of various capacity-building and education programs to improve working conditions and management systems. And, we thank the trade schools, colleges and universities in Hong Kong, the Netherlands and the United States that have invited us into their classrooms and lecture halls to meet with students, faculty and administration to help further the cause of responsible business behavior for the next generation of managers and executives. We have been heartened by the response from the hundreds of students we’ve spoken with, and the gratitude we feel in helping to place some of those students in meaningful internships at manufacturing companies, or hiring them for a summer program in a WRAP office. Through this participation and acceptance, we have maintained our independent status as a self-funding organization free of membership dues, government grants or foundation funding. In spite of these challenging economic times, this increased participation has allowed WRAP to remain debt free and financially healthy as a non-profit organization. Our growth across over 70 countries and increased recognition culminated this year in being invited by the organizers of MAGIC, the world’s largest garment show, to host a WRAP Pavilion only for WRAP-certified facilities. This first-ever event clearly shows the business benefit to manufacturers participating in WRAP as they will be showcased in the upcoming MAGIC Show in August in Las Vegas. We offer our sincere thanks to the management of MAGIC for this tremendous honor. And finally, we believe in expressing our thanks to the participating communities and countries by financially supporting our two chosen causes: disaster relief and education. We have made donations to help those affected by floods, hurricanes and earthquakes – “natural disasters” beyond anyone’s control. And, we have provided scholarship assistance to deserving students to help them continue one of the most valuable gifts of all – an education. To all those who have continued to support and participate in WRAP, we offer our heart-felt thanks. Steve Jesseph President and CEO Follow WRAP on Twitter: Join WRAP on Facebook:   Media Contact: Yin Yin +1.703.243.0970 ext. 13 yyin@wrapcompliance.org WRAP-Certified Factories to be Spotlighted at the MAGIC Show In a historic first, WRAP-certified factories will be spotlighted at the upcoming Sourcing at MAGIC show in Las Vegas from August 30 – September 2, 2009. Sourcing at MAGIC is the ultimate international business platform offering one-stop shopping for the entire apparel supply chain. A separate pavilion is planned only for WRAP-certified factories. MAGIC staff will direct buyers to the pavilion as an increasing number of buyers are seeking to purchase apparel and accessories only from socially and environmentally compliant facilities. In addition, a full-page listing of the facilities is planned in the show directory. “This is the first time any show or exhibition in the world has singled out socially compliant businesses,” said Steve Jesseph, WRAP President. “Buyers have repeatedly asked to be referred to compliant factories in previous shows so MAGIC management decided to create a unique space for those businesses that have demonstrated a commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices by obtaining WRAP certification. Many factories have asked us: If I’m certified, will it help me get more business? At MAGIC, it does!” WRAP will have its own booth at MAGIC as well. What have other exhibitors said about their experience at MAGIC? “This is the second time that I have participated in Sourcing at MAGIC. Last time I gained a lot of orders that I am still doing business with. This show there were several inquiries about my company and I am happy to say that I received a one million piece on-site order. There are also commitments from buyers to visit my factory. I am really impressed that MAGIC has created a lot of new things for Sourcing buyers.” Syed Mehedy Hossain, Young Star Sweater “We have exhibited in Sourcing at MAGIC five times in the past 3 years. There has been a commendable response, which continuously brings us back to Las Vegas. The February 2009 show was no exception. The contacts we established will certainly help us grow further and help us continue fighting through these turbulent times in our global economy.” Amit Jain, Indiamart.com Vice President (Alliances), “We had very strong traffic in our booth all four days of the show. There was a good mix of larger, medium and smaller accounts; and, they were all seriously interested in doing business. Possibly our best MAGIC yet.” David Stone, President/CEO, Solid Stone Fabrics   For those factories not already committed to MAGIC, a special Studio Booth package has been developed which includes a 6’ x 10’ space, signage, carpet, a table with three chairs and wastebasket. Drayage is included for product only up to 300 lbs. The total cost is US$3,500. A limited number of booths are available in this special space and 80% of them are already committed. If you’re interested in this exciting opportunity, contact Yin Yin at the WRAP office, yyin@wrapcompliance.org to receive the registration forms. “We enjoyed our time at Sourcing at MAGIC. We made lots of new contacts and traffic was steady throughout the four days of the show.” Ray Ferriola, Owner, Donray Printing “Sourcing at MAGIC gives me a great opportunity to meet big buyers of USA, Mexico, Europe and more!” Jae Hyun Lee, Lothem Leather Collection Joseph Lok: A Believer in Quality Auditing and Quality Training “I believe that training and capacity building plays an integral role in the CSR management system,” said Lok. “The traditional audit approach can be a good tool, but it is definitely not the solution. I always propose that an organization or a facility shall look at auditing as a ‘cost’, but look at training as an ‘investment’ which can yield both short and long term economic returns. I am glad that I share the same vision with the WRAP team.” When Lok joined WRAP, he set up two main goals for himself to achieve. One is to build up a solid quality assurance program that makes sure monitors’ auditing can yield reliable reports. To achieve this objective, Lok believes that the organization must establish regular reviews of monitor’s internal quality control system, unannounced audits and quality control audits. The other goal Lok aims to accomplish is to provide the best auditor and monitor training. According to Lok, knowing the market’s needs is the key for any training programs. WRAP has been providing the high-quality internal auditor training courses throughout the world for several years now and should continue to do so. Lok holds a Master of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Health from University of Greenwich in U.K., a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University in Canada, and a Diploma in Fashion and Clothing from Hong Kong Polytechnic. He lives in Hong Kong with his wife who is a secondary school teacher and his 14-month-old son who is a full-time “trouble maker.” In his spare time, he enjoys rock and heavy metal music. His favorite sports are snowboarding and skiing which he picked up while he was living in Canada. Lok is a certified snowboard instructor in Canada. He hopes one day he can spend the rest of his life in a remote ski resort after retirement. Joseph Lok, Manager of Training and Compliance, WRAP Asia Joseph Lok joined the WRAP Asia team in May 2009 and became the newest member of the WRAP family. He is responsible for the quality assurance of third-party auditing and auditor training in the region. Lok provides technical advice to monitors and facility management to guarantee the quality of auditing. He regularly communicates with monitors to align their auditing work with high audit standards, examines monitors’ auditing process, and conducts unannounced visits to WRAP-certified factories. He also coordinates with other WRAP Asia staff members and organizes auditor training courses and seminars to promote the certification and training program in the region. Lok has been working in the social compliance arena since 2000, when he first started as a compliance administrator for Contempo Fashions and later as a regional compliance supervisor at Warnaco/IGCS. From 2002 to 2009, he successively held the posts of NEXT (HK)’s COP Compliance Officer and Manager of Compliance and Training at ICTI CARE, an international social compliance certification body. His familiarity with the manufacturing industry is also a fortune to the WRAP team. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he worked as an assistant merchandiser for Earnest Trading Corporation and Swire & Maclaine Ltd. in Hong Kong and a merchandiser for Winner Sportswear Ltd. in Canada.      Contact Joseph Lok: Manager, Training and Compliance Telephone:  + (852) 2730 2381 Fax: + (852) 3142 6858 jlok@wrapcompliance.org WRAP’s Global Activities: Making Efforts to Advance WRAP’s Social and Environmental Compliance Program Asia Thailand, June 25 - 26, 2009 North America United States, June 22, 2009 WRAP has recently partnered with MFG.com, the world’s largest online marketplace serving the global manufacturing community. Founded in 2000, MFG.com connects buyers and suppliers of manufactured products from around the world. The partnership will provide online buyers with added value when they are looking for socially responsible suppliers in the manufacturing industry. United States, June 25, 2009 WRAP has recently announced a new relationship with Panjiva, the leading source of objective information on global manufacturers. Information about which manufacturers have the WRAP certification will be integrated into Panjiva Search, the most comprehensive search engine for global trade making it easier for socially responsible companies to find socially responsible manufacturers. WRAP’s President and CEO Steve Jesseph (1st from the left) and Director of WRAP Asia Michael Lavergne (2nd from the left) addressed over 150 people at the two-day Thai Department of Export Promotion conference in Bangkok on June 25 - 26, 2009. Titled “Critical Issues for Thai Exporters: Labor and the Environment” and “How WRAP certifies facilities in Thailand,” both presentations were very well received, with numerous queries from the audience during the question and answer session. Central America Guatemala, June 17 - 19, 2009 WRAP’s Director of Field Operations Ivan Viera conducted a three-day Social System Foundation and Internal Auditor Training course in Guatemala on June 17 - 19, 2009. Co-organized by the Guatemala’s Apparel & Textile Industry Commission (VESTEX), the training course provided attendees with the knowledge and skills to conduct internal audits for facilities. Attendees who have successfully completed the training course received certificates (see the photo below). Indonesia, July 2, 2009 Co-organized with Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services (BVCPS) in Indonesia, WRAP hosted a half-day seminar on corporate social and environmental compliance in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 2, 2009. The half-day seminar is focused on how to establish and maintain a facility-based social and environmental compliance program to satisfy buyer requirements. Approximately 160 apparel industry representatives attended the seminar. Director of WRAP Asia, Michael Lavergne (right), giving a presentation at the seminar.   Attendees and WRAP’s Director of Field Operations Ivan Viera (2nd from the right, standing) in Guatemala UPCOMING EVENTS The Camara Executive Overview Conference When: Thursday, July 9 at 5:30 pm. Where: Mexico City, Mexico Note: WRAP’s Training Director Stuart Webster will be a speaker at the conference. Outdoor Retailer Summer Market When: July 21 – 24, 2009 Where: Salt Lake City, Utah http://www.outdoorretailer.com/summer_market/ Note: WRAP’s representative will attend this event. WRAP Principle 5: Compensation and Benefits Definition: Suppliers must pay at least the minimum wage required by law for all hours worked, including all mandated wages, overtime, allowances and benefits. Explanation: Suppliers must fairly compensate their employees by providing wages and benefits that are in compliance with the local and national laws of the jurisdictions in which the suppliers are doing business. Asociacion Nacional de Ejecutivos de Organismos Empresariales (ANGECAI) Conference When: July 25 Where: Puebla, Mexico Note: WRAP’s Representative in Mexico Lourdes Perez will be a speaker at the conference. Sourcing at MAGIC When: August 30 – September 2, 2009 Where: Las Vegas, NV http://www.sourcingatmagic.com Note: WRAP and WRAP-certified factories will have booths under the WRAP pavilion. Contact: Yin Yin, yyin@wrapcompliance.org Material World and Technology Home Textile Expo 2009 When: July 15, 2009 – July 15, 2010 Where: Online Website: http://www.hometextilelive.com/ Contact: Chinky, chinky@fibre2fashion.com Tel: +0091 9909941384 Solutions When: September 30 – October 2, 2009 Where: Los Angeles, CA http://www.material-world.com/1060/Los-Angel es.htm Note: WRAP will have a booth at the show. Contact: Hong Mei, hmei@wrapcompliance.org CONTACT WRAP Headquarters Hong Kong Office Unit 810, Star House 3 Salisbury Road Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: +852.2730.2381 Fax: +852.3142.6858 Email: vcheung@wrapcompliance.org Mexico Contact 2200 Wilson Boulevard Suite 601 Arlington, VA 22201 Tel: +1.703.243.0970 Fax: +1.703.243.8247 Email: info@wrapcompliance.org Fuente de Salvador # 12 Lomas de Tecamachalco C.P. 53950 Naucalpan, Estado de Mexico Tel: +52 (55) 9113.1977 Fax: +52 (55) 9113.1977 Email: lperez@wrapcompliance.org