PREMIER EQUIPMENT LTD.
This Modern Slavery Report (the “Report”) addresses the period from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024 and has been prepared in compliance with the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (Canada) (the “Act”).
This Report is made on behalf of Premier Equipment Ltd. (“Premier”, “we”, “us” or “our”).
I. INTRODUCTION
Forced labour and child labour, each as defined in the Act, are crimes and serious violations of human rights. As a leading business in the agricultural equipment industry, Premier recognizes the important role that we have in ensuring that the supply chains that support our operations and products, adhere to the highest ethical standards, including the prevention and identification of forced labour and child labour in our supply chain. This Report sets out the steps we have taken during Fiscal 2024 to prevent and reduce the risk that forced labour or child labour is used at any step in the production of goods in Canada or elsewhere by Premier or of goods imported into Canada by Premier.
II. OUR BUSINESS
Premier is an agricultural equipment dealer headquartered in Ontario, Canada. We are a corporation that distributes agricultural equipment including tractors, planting and seeding equipment, and harvesting equipment, etc., for example. We also supply parts, attachments, and services to support those products. We operate eight physical locations all of which are situated in Ontario. We also sell products online through our websites: https://premier.dealercustomerportal.com/customers/specials. Our customers are largely the end-users of our products, which largely include family farms and agricultural businesses located in Canada. We occasionally supply agricultural equipment and associated products to other distributors in Canada.
Premier’s supply chain includes businesses that supply agricultural parts and equipment, and supply services to our organization. We receive goods from our suppliers mostly in completed form and at times need to do some basic pre-delivery set-up. Almost all our direct suppliers are North American-based agricultural equipment manufacturers and distributors.
In FY2024, we procured goods and services from approximately 300 suppliers and contractors, but approximately 97% are concentrated with 4 original equipment manufactures such as John Deere, Unverferth Mfg. Co. Inc, Jay-Lor Fabricating Inc., and Honda Canada. Further information about our business can be found on our website.
III. OUR POLICIES
Policies
Premier is committed to conducting our business in a lawful and ethical manner. Although the Fighting Forced & Child Labour in Supply Chains Act is new information for our company and the Modern Slavery Report is a new report for us to complete, we appreciate the steps being taken by the Government of Canada to try to end modern slavery and the removal violations of human rights at home and abroad. We do not currently have a Supplier Code of Conduct but will have one in place by January 31, 2025. We currently work with credible suppliers who we believe adhere to a high code of conduct in their business. We can do more to make our expectations clear. Premier strictly adheres to local, Provincial and Federal laws.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We are committed to conducting our business in a lawful and ethical manner. Our Employee Manual and Code of Conduct are the foundations of our company’s policies and sets out guiding principles on professional conduct and establishes that in performing their job duties, Premier employees should always act lawfully, ethicallyandinthebestinterestsofPremier. Wehavewelldocumentedandextensiveonboardingprocesses that includes a sign-off of understanding and acceptance of our company policies. We also provide Premier employees with access to the Employee Manual throughout the year including highlighting any updates or changes made.
Due Diligence
We expect third parties with which we work to adhere to business principles and values that are similar to our own and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Before making any commitments towards third parties, we take steps to appropriately evaluate the relationship and mitigate any associated risks.
We acknowledge that employees working in our facilities and our supply chain are at potential risk of forced labour or child labour. In order to mitigate this risk, we follow a due diligence approach that includes keeping up-to-date on Ontario labour standards on important items such as:
i) minimum wage requirements;
ii) minimum age requirements;
iii) safe work procedures;
iv) proper certifications for operating equipment;
IV. ASSESSING OUR RISK
Premier currently does not engage in activities to identify, assess, and manage supplier risk. In assessing the risk of forced and child labour in our business and supply chains, we assume that dealing with large, very reputable companies minimizes this risk. Our exposure to the risk of forced labour and/or child labour increases when we engage with third parties, particularly in categories such as transportation, warehousing, construction, and manufacturing. We recognize that our exposure of forced labour and/or child labour increases when we engage with suppliers who source goods or raw materials from countries where forced labour exploitation is known to occur. As such, we will need to contact our manufacturers to gain knowledge on how they minimize exposure to these activities. Our main supplier is John Deere. They are committed to social responsibility and have published the following information in support of that:
https://s22.q4cdn.com/253594569/files/doc_downloads/support/Support-of-Human-Rights-inOur- Business-Practices_2021.pdf
V. OUR PROGRESS AND EFFECTIVENES
Premier is in the initial stages of adhering to the recommendations of the Fighting Forced & Child Labour in Supply chains Act. We will add this important element to our management discussions, especially when contemplating new suppliers or renewing existing contracts with existing suppliers.
VI. APPROVAL AND SIGNATURE
This Report was approved by Premier’s Board of Directors on May 24, 2024 and has been submitted to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in Canada. This Report is also available on our company website at: https://premier.dealercustomerportal.com/customers/specials.
In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and in particular section 11 thereof, I attest that I have reviewed the information contained in this Report for the entity. Based on my knowledge, and having exercised reasonable diligence, I attest that the information in this Report is true, accurate and complete in all material respects for the purposes of the Act, for the reporting year listed above.
Allan Dueck
CEO, May 24, 2024
I have the authority to bind Premier Equipment Ltd.