Building upon the company’s continued commitment to sustainability, we recently launched our second Global Reporting Initiative (or GRI) G4 Report. This interactive, online summary details our management approach, goals and progress in all defined material, or most important, sustainability topics and highlights examples of how we are strengthening its focus in these areas.

“The GRI report begins with an assessment, involving both internal and external stakeholders, that dives into all areas of sustainability at Southwire, unearthing our most significant impacts and opportunities,” said Rebecca Cranford, senior vice president of sustainability, environmental health and safety and quality. “The findings of this assessment help determine Southwire’s sustainability goals and strategies, which align with our five pillars of Building Worth, Growing Green, Living Well, Giving Back and Doing Right and allow us to remain transparent in our findings, reportings, goals and achievements.”

We launched our first GRI report as an overview of its progress for the year 2014, further supporting its strong allegiance to transparency surrounding our sustainability initiative. The report for 2015 features updates on our 13 identified material topics including product responsibility, communities, energy usage, workplace safety and health and ethics and transparency, which are supported by metrics and plans to meet company goals.

“Southwire’s commitment to sustainability is visible in every aspect of our company,” said Rich Stinson, Southwire president and CEO. “It can be seen from our manufacturing floor to the volunteer opportunities in which our employees participate to the environmental footprint we’re leaving on the places we call home.”

As referenced in the report, 2015 yielded positive growth, highlighted by solid business results, significant gains within the sales channels and special recognition from some of our biggest customers. A key highlight is our marked progress in the area of Living Well for 2015.

“At Southwire, we have always believed that people are our greatest differentiator and the power behind our products and services,” said Cranford. “Living Well is about Southwire’s commitment to creating a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment for our people. In 2015, we made some of our greatest strides in our Living Well objectives as we focused on employee safety, career development and inclusivity.”

Some of our other notable accomplishments for 2015 included the successful acquisition and integration of a new facility and team in Huntersville, North Carolina; the implementation of SAP for sales and order processing and the 10-year anniversary of Project GIFT, our non-profit volunteer initiative.

“Southwire stands tall today; however, we know we have more work ahead to cultivate our growth,” said Cranford. “We will continue facilitating conversations, both internally and externally, as we refine our sustainability objectives and further develop our overall strategic plan. In addition, our culture of accountability will ensure that we meet those objectives and drive performance to the next level.”

Full access to Southwire’s 2015 sustainability report is available at southwire.com/sustainability.