Statement Pursuant to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (UK)
for the financial year 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022
Requirement
This statement constitutes Briggs of Burton PLC (“Briggs”) slavery and human trafficking statement as required by Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Our Organisation’s Structure
Since June 2016, Briggs has been a subsidiary of CIMC Enric Tank and Process B.V. (“CETP”) when 100% of
its share capital was acquired. CETP is a subsidiary of CIMC Enric Holdings Ltd, which is a Hong Kong main
board listed company (stock code: 3899. HK).
Briggs has offices in the UK, USA and Mexico, and carries on activities in all three locations: in the UK, in Burton on Trent and Prestonpans, Scotland; in the USA, in Rochester New York and Louisville Kentucky; and in Puebla and Guadalajara in Mexico.
Within Europe, CETP has facilities in the Netherlands (Zwolle), Germany (Bürgstadt and Ludwigsburg) and
Belgium (Menen). In China the CETP facility is in Nantong.
Briggs provides hygienic process engineering solutions for many of the world’s leading companies. Briggs are involved in a number of sectors including Brewing, Distilling, Food, Pharma, Biotech and Industrial. Briggs’ capabilities include: process engineering, project management, engineering consultancy, mechanical design, and high-integrity manufacturing. Briggs also includes the brands of Giusti, Sizer, and Burnett & Rolfe.
Our Supply Chains
Briggs caries out due diligence on all suppliers through its Health & Safety and Quality questionnaire. Briggs holds a rigorous approach in its procurement of suppliers. There has been a group wide procurement strategy review and there will be an updated supplier due diligence process moving forward into 2023. Briggs’ suppliers Page 2 are required to adhere to all the applicable laws, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Briggs’ Senior Leadership Team encourage employees to meet with suppliers to gain a good working relationship and create an environment where any concerns can be raised. Since 2021 Briggs’ Procurement department has grown and we are committed to actively manage our supply chain, including the implementation of a supplier code of conduct and an audit of some of our key suppliers on their practices. A modern slavery questionnaire was issued to be completed by some of our supply chain.
Briggs due diligence processes on modern slavery and human trafficking aim to identify and address any potential risks to our business or our projects, and to strive for continual improvement.
Risks of Slavery and Human Trafficking in our Business and Supply Chains
When considering the countries our suppliers are vested in, we determine our business to be low risk for these abuses. This position is monitored by the business throughout the year.
The self-assessment questionnaires completed by our suppliers did not identify any areas of major non-conformance to our own standards. In the event of any non-conformance being identified, an improvement plan is put in place to ensure conformance to the standards set by the legislation and current guidance.
Briggs Company Policies
Briggs is committed to conducting business with absolute integrity and rigor. This ultimately includes combatting modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chain. Briggs has an Equal Opportunities Policy and are committed to providing equal opportunities in the workplace which are free of discrimination, victimisation, and bullying. Briggs also has a Whistleblowing Policy which protects employees if they identify risks. Both policies are readily available and updated annually in the Company Handbook (Terms and Conditions of Employment and Company Rules). These policies apply to both work in our offices and on work sites.
Training about Slavery and Human Trafficking
To ensure a consistent level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, the business is implementing a Learning Management System which will include modules on slavery and human trafficking to ensure employees have continued awareness.
Board Approvals and Signatures
This Statement has been approved by the Board of Directors of Briggs.
R J Buxton
Managing Director
Briggs of Burton PLC
A signed copy is available on request from compliance@briggsplc.com.