Supplier Code of Conduct
Forterra upholds the highest standard of ethical business conduct by implementing the ‘DO THE RIGHT THING’ principle. We are honest, trustworthy, respectful, and fair in our dealings with our employees, partners, and the customers we serve. Our policy is to comply with all governmental laws, rules, and regulations applicable to its business. But Forterra’s policy does not stop there. Even where the law is permissive, we choose the course of highest integrity.
We expect nothing less from our business partners, including our consultants, distributors, partners, and suppliers. Our Supplier Code of Conduct enlists our Supplier Partners in upholding our high standards of integrity and to DO THE RIGHT THING. We believe this joint commitment to legal and ethical conduct and integrity is a strong foundation for trusted business relationships that create shared value.
REQUIREMENTS
All Forterra suppliers are expected to have and maintain their own internal code of business conduct requiring adherence to legal requirements and ethical business practices. This Supplier Code of Conduct contains general requirements applicable to all business suppliers to Forterra including our consultants, distributors, contractors, and other business partners (our “Supplier Partners”). We expect all suppliers to have and maintain their own internal code that, at a minimum, covers the expectations in our Supplier Code of Conduct.
Note, the Individual supplier contracts may contain more specific provisions addressing some of these same issues. Nothing in this Code is meant to supersede any more specific provision in a particular contract, and to the extent there is any inconsistency between this Code and any other provision of a particular contract, the other provision will control.
OBEY THE LAW
We expect our Supplier Partners to share our commitment to following the law.
DO THE RIGHT THING:
- Know and follow the laws that apply to you and your business
- Treat legal requirements as a minimum standard
- Alert Forterra to any material issues with the goods and services you supply — especially health, safety and quality issues.
CONDUCT BUSINESS WITH INTEGRITY
We seek business relationships based on trust, transparency, and mutual accountability.
DO THE RIGHT THING:
- Compete fairly and ethically for Forterra’s business
- Never offer or accept bribes, kickbacks, inappropriate gifts or hospitality, or other improper incentives in connection with Forterra’s business
- Avoid any conflict of interest relating to financial interests or other arrangements with our employees that may be considered inappropriate
- Work with your own suppliers to promote business conduct consistent with the principles in this Code
- Uphold applicable standards of fair business, advertising, and competition
KEEP ACCURATE AND HONEST RECORDS
We expect our Supplier Partners to maintain accurate and honest records.
DO THE RIGHT THING:
- Maintain books and records that reflect all transactions in an accurate, honest, and timely way
- Retain business records in accordance with record retention policies and all applicable laws and regulations.
- Disclose, on request, the location of facilities, notify us if you intend to change locations, and provide known origins of materials to enable traceability
HONOR BUSINESS OBLIGATIONS
We work with Supplier Partners who share our desire to build productive business relationships. This requires honest communications, mutual respect, and delivering on commitments.
DO THE RIGHT THING:
- Share our commitment to conducting business honestly and transparently
- Honor business obligations and manage unanticipated events in a proactive, timely, and open way
- Implement management and monitoring practices to ensure compliance with contracts and applicable laws
TREAT PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT
We expect our Supplier Partners to stand with us in prioritizing the safety, well-being, and dignity of all individuals, whose talents and hard work help us deliver our products and services.
DO THE RIGHT THING:
- Treat others the way you’d like to be treated
- Comply with all applicable safety and health laws and regulations, and identify, evaluate, and control worker exposure to safety and health hazards
- Never use or tolerate the use of human trafficking, forced labor, or child labor
- Foster an inclusive work environment that is free of harassment and discrimination
- Meet or exceed all legal requirements governing wage and working hour requirements, including compensation, benefits, and overtime
- Comply with applicable laws governing eligibility for employment, recruitment, and termination
PROTECT FORTERRA’S INFORMATION, ASSETS, AND INTERESTS
We expect our Supplier Partners to protect Forterra’s reputation and any information or property we entrust to them.
DO THE RIGHT THING:
- Protect all Forterra confidential information to which you have access, including Forterra’s intellectual property, trade secrets, or financial information
- Safeguard any property belonging to Forterra using appropriate traceability measures while under your control
- Avoid any situations that may adversely affect our business interests or reputation
- Comply with all applicable data privacy, information and cyber security laws and regulatory requirements, including breach notification obligations
- Respect and protect intellectual property rights of Forterra and other persons and/or entities
BE EVEN MORE DILIGENT WHEN DEALING WITH THE GOVERNMENT
We expect our Supplier Partners to strictly observe the laws, rules, and regulations when contracting with or for any governmental entity.
DO THE RIGHT THING:
- Know and comply with all rules that apply to government procurement and interactions with government or public sector employees and officials
- Never attempt to obtain, directly or indirectly, from any source:
- procurement-sensitive information that is not publicly available or otherwise authorized for disclosure by the government
- confidential internal government information, such as pre-award, source selection information; or any proprietary information of a competitor, including, for example, bid or proposal information
- Submit accurate invoices to the government and comply with all laws regarding invoicing and payments
- Establish and maintain appropriate internal controls to ensure compliance with all applicable local country and US laws concerning prohibitions on offering anything of value to government and public sector employees or officials
- Never provide, attempt to provide, offer, or solicit a kickback, directly or indirectly, to obtain or reward favorable treatment in connection with any transaction
- Never pay or enter any agreement to pay, directly or indirectly, a contingent fee to any party for the purposes of obtaining a government contract or influencing government action
OUR GOAL OF TRUSTED PARTNERSHIP
It is our goal to build trust-based relationships with ethical Supplier Partners who follow our Supplier Code of Conduct. We expect our Supplier Partners to cooperate with our reasonable requests for information, certifications, and/or audit access. When there is a concern, our practice is to work with the Supplier Partner. We may be able to help identify possible improvements. However, when an issue can’t be corrected or a supplier partner is unwilling to engage, we reserve the right to end our relationship. By working collaboratively with our Supplier Partners, we believe we can achieve mutual success.
If you see or suspect any conduct or business practices that you think could violate our Supplier Code, please contact Forterra directly. You may raise a concern or get help by contacting your Forterra representative; or contacting the Forterra confidential compliance hotline (https://ansr.me/forterra). Getting in touch with us quickly helps to prevent problems and correct any that have already occurred. We handle all reports promptly, fairly, and as confidentially as possible.
Forterra has a strict policy of zero tolerance of retaliation against people who speak out and report concerns about actual or potential violations of any Forterra policy.