Gildan Receives FUNDAHRSE Seal for Its Operations in Honduras

MONTREAL, September 25, 2019 /3BL Media/ – Gildan Activewear Inc.  is once again a recipient of the Corporate Social Responsibility Seal awarded by the Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility in Honduras (FUNDAHRSE).

“We work to be a positive contributor to both the people and the communities in the regions where we have operations, and it is a source of pride to have these efforts recognized,” said Claudia Sandoval, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship at Gildan. “Our operations in Honduras and all over the world are aligned with the standards of both local and international organizations such as the ILO, FLA and WRAP.  As such, we strive to offer our more than 26,000 employees in Honduras the best working conditions, invest in innovations to minimize our use of natural resources and work closely with our neighbouring communities to ensure our investments address their most pressing needs.”

The Company continues to make strategic investments in Honduras to improve the lives of its employees, strengthen infrastructure in its communities and reduce its energy footprint.  Some highlights in the past year include:

Gildan opened an onsite supermarket for its employees, offering non-perishable food, household essentials and personal care items at discounted prices for 8,500 workers located at its Honduras manufacturing complex.  Emphasizing more sustainable products and supply chains, the program exclusively uses local suppliers, creating further economic benefits for the community as well as reducing transportation costs and associated environmental impacts.

Gildan also financed the refurbishment of a community park in San Pedro Sula, Honduras through a donation of $570,000. This park, which is the largest in the city and second largest in the country, provides a modern, multi-sport recreational space to unite families and promote sporting activity as part of the “Parques para una Vida Mejor” (Better Life Parks) program.  This program created by the government in partnership with the private sector aims to recover public spaces encouraging citizen coexistence and healthy recreation.

In a continued effort to support the healthcare infrastructure in Honduras, Gildan donated medical equipment for the surgery ward of the Leonardo Martínez Hospital. The equipment, valued at more than $520,000, for the new operating rooms at the healthcare center provide free services to patients in the Northern Region of the country. This new surgical module is expected to perform more than 8,000 surgeries annually.

The Company also focused on reducing energy usage through a systematic review of its emissions factors, optimized biomass operations and continued to deploy heat recovery systems in its facilities. Renewable energy, which represented 40% of the Company’s total energy use in 2018, is also an area of focus for its operations in Honduras and other parts of Latin America.

FUNDAHRSE is a Honduran organization that promotes the management of responsible businesses and works to boost the competitiveness of small, medium and large companies by promoting the strategic integration of respect for ethical values, people, communities and the environment in a company’s decision making and business management processes. The CSR Seal is designed to recognize organizations that demonstrate leading practices related to employee and community relations, human rights, labour practices, governance, marketing, environment, and operational practices.

Now in the 12^th year of the award, this year’s ceremony took place on September 19^th in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. 

About Gildan

Gildan is a leading manufacturer of everyday basic apparel which markets its products in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, under a diversified portfolio of Company-owned brands, including Gildan®, American Apparel®, Comfort Colors®, Gildan® Hammer™, Prim + Preux®, Gold Toe®, Anvil®, Alstyle®, Secret®, Silks®, Kushyfoot®, Secret Silky®, Therapy Plus™, Peds® and MediPeds®, and under the Under Armour® brand through a sock licensing agreement providing exclusive distribution rights in the United States and Canada. Our product offering includes activewear, underwear, socks, hosiery, and legwear products sold to a broad range of customers, including wholesale distributors, screenprinters or embellishers, as well as to retailers that sell to consumers through their physical stores and/or e-commerce platforms, and to global lifestyle brand companies. In addition, we sell directly to consumers through our own direct-to-consumer platforms.

Gildan owns and operates vertically-integrated, large-scale manufacturing facilities which are primarily located in Central America, the Caribbean Basin, North America, and Bangladesh. With approximately 54,000 employees worldwide Gildan operates with a strong commitment to industry-leading labour and environmental practices throughout its supply chain in accordance with its comprehensive Genuine Responsibility™ program embedded in the Company's long-term business strategy. More information about the Company and its corporate citizenship practices and initiatives can be found at www.gildancorp.com and www.genuineresponsibility.com, respectively.

-30-