Marina Textiles: Weaving CSR into the textile industry
Based in Mississauga, Marina Textiles is a global importer, distributor and exporter of textile products, specializing in hospitality, health care and home linens. Early in EDC’s relationship with Marina Textiles, a concerned was raised in our pre-screening process—not because of anything the company had done, but rather because it was operating in an industry known for human rights violations (such as child labour, forced labour and illegal migrant workers) and sourcing some of its products from countries where such abuses more commonly occurred.
When EDC’S environmental and social risk advisors conducted enhanced due diligence on the company, they discovered that Marina Textiles had a good track record. However, it was missing a policy to ensure social and environmental responsibility within its supply chain. This meant that if EDC was to do business with Marina Textiles, social and environmental commitments would be included in the contract—one of which included developing, publishing and adhering to a supply chain management policy consistent with OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains. Marina Textiles fulfilled the requirement without delay and to our satisfaction.
“We saw this as an opportunity to improve our business practices and help our industry take a step in the right direction,” says Faheem Adam, CEO, Marina Textiles. To guide Marina Textiles in developing a supply chain policy, EDC provided examples of similar policies used by other companies in the industry.
