Mountain Equipment Co-op, Canada's largest retail co-operative with over 2.9 million members, disclosed the names of factories that make clothing and gear under the outdoor retailer's MEC-brand label. With the move, MEC becomes the first Canadian company to disclose its factory base.
“Factory disclosure is about transparency,” said MEC CEO David Labistour. “By casting light on MEC's global supply chain we endeavor to reveal more about the companies and countries we do business with in the course of bringing MEC-brand products to our customers, the member-owners we serve.”
In disclosing its factory base Mountain Equipment Co-op joins several leading companies outside of Canada. Nike, Inc. was the first U.S. company to disclose it factory base, in 2006. Since then, Patagonia and Timberland have followed.
The disclosure is available online on MEC's English and French websites, where one can view the factory list. Name, street address and country are given for 53 factories that make one or more styles of MEC-brand hardgoods (packs, tents, sleeping bags) or softgoods (performance and commodity apparel).
A $10,000 factory order threshold was set to determine MEC's 2008 disclosure list. Twenty-two factories were excluded for fulfilling orders of less than $10,000. Five factories were not disclosed for administrative or non-agreement reasons. MEC's goal is to disclose all its private-label contract factories within one year.
MEC said that factory disclosure and ethical sourcing are examples of how it integrates sustainability initiatives and programs into its co-operative business operations. Others include grants for community based wilderness conservation and outdoor recreation, a green building program and sustainable product development.
