A few quick Comments on Overseas Manufacturing. . .

As those of you who have worked with us for a while are already well aware, we have been pretty critical of overseas manufacturing for a number of years.  We've been critical of it, primarily because most of the companies that had approached us previously failed in one of the following areas:

• Utilization of child labor.  During my tours of duty overseas I saw firsthand way too many children being forced to work at jobs that adults would typically not undertake because of the nature or danger of those jobs. . . and usually paid little or nothing to do so.  This practice has been prevalent for many years, particularly in maille armour manufactured overseas.  Performance Armour does not, and will not, do business with any company that uses child labor in any form. 
  

• Worker Safety.  Again. . . during my tours of duty overseas, I saw way too many locals who had been maimed or killed by being forced to work in environments that would have been outlawed in the US at the turn of the century.  Workers in foundery environments without even the most minimal heat/slag protective gear, etc. . .  Performance Armour does not, and will not, do business with any company that does not provide a safe working environment for their personnel.
  

• Worker Rights.  Similarly, we saw a number of places where "company towns" still exist, where workers all are employed at the same factory, rent apartments from the factory, buy groceries in the factory store, etc. . .  In these sorts of towns, workers are virtual slaves to the company, because it is always insured that their wages cannot quite cover the cost of their living in the towns, and the debt requirement forces them to stay at the company indefinately.  Performance Armour does not, and will not, do business with any company that does not provide their workers with basic human rights.
  

• Living Wages.   We know that one of the primary reasons to seek manufacturing overseas is because the cost of labor is lower than in the US.  This is certainly one of our major reasons to seek out these kinds of partnerships. . . the same as everyone else.   But one thing we're not is Wal-Mart. . . we're not interested in driving prices so low that the people manufacturing those products can't afford to live.  There is plenty of room for agressive pricing that all of you, our customers, will appreciate, while still allowing those workers a wage that is dignified.  Performance Armour does not, and will not, do business with any compan that does not provide an appropriate living wage to their workers, based on the local cost of living.
  

• Government Labor.  It has been the practice for many years in a number of Oriental countries (notably China) to use forced labor camps consisting of political prisoners, and/or criminals to produce a variety of basic products like lumber or smelted metal ores.  We believe this is contrary to the basic rights of human beings.  Performance Armour does not, and will not, do business with any company that utilizes government labor (that includes US prison labor), or uses material inputs that were made with government labor.  (This essentially eliminates armor products produced in China).
  

We realize that a number of our competitors do not adhere to these same principles, and that this lack of moral fiber will sometimes allow them to beat orur prices on similar products.  We hope that you agree with us that there is a value to being able to sleep with a clear conscience.