Fruit of the Loom Inc., Bowling Green, Ky., recently received the 2013 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE), which recognizes the important role U.S. businesses play abroad.
One of three winners this year, Fruit of the Loom is being recognized by the U.S. State Department for its corporate citizenship practices in Honduras, including pioneering union advancements at its local garment-manufacturing facilities.
Fruit of the Loom’s work in Honduras includes: forging a collective bargaining agreement with its workers, which has become a model for the Central America region; recognizing unions and adopting a union-neutral policy at all of its local assembly facilities; providing more than 10,000 health screenings for people in local communities; and engaging in environmental stewardship by reducing carbon emissions and providing ecological stoves to rural areas.
“Fruit of the Loom is focused on the well-being of our employees and on leaving a positive impact on the communities in which we operate,” says Rick Medlin, president and CEO of Fruit of the Loom. “We are particularly proud of the progress we have made in our facilities in Honduras, and are committed to increasing the social and economic strength of individuals and groups touched by the manufacture and use of our products all around the world.”
The ACE was established by the State Department in 1999 to recognize American companies that are leaders in socially responsible activities and contribute to the overall growth and development of the local economies in which they work. The annual award is part of the State Department’s commitment to further advocating corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices and democratic values worldwide.
Three hundred companies were considered for this year’s ACE and the winners were announced at a ceremony in Washington D.C., hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry. This is the first ACE award nomination and subsequent win for Fruit of the Loom.
For more information, visit fotlinc.com. — L.M.
