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REPORTS

SanMar Assessment for Reaccreditation

In March 2023, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) board of directors voted to reaccredit the social compliance program of SanMar Corporation (SanMar), a family-owned and operated business distributing blank manufactured apparel and accessories. SanMar brands include Port Authority, Sport-Tek, Port & Company, Mercer+Mettle, Allmade, District, CornerStone, and Volunteer Knitwear.

The decision by the FLA board follows a rigorous, multi-year review of SanMar’s business systems for compliance with international labor standards designed to protect workers in its global supply chains. SanMar sources from one self-operated facility and 110 contract facilities across 21 countries.

SanMar first earned Fair Labor Accreditation in 2012. The reaccreditation report details FLA’s updated evaluation of SanMar’s social compliance program through January 2023, and reflects continuous improvements that kept pace with updates to FLA standards during the intervening period.

Highlights of SanMar’s reaccreditation include:

  • Supplier relationships: SanMar regularly engages with its suppliers to discuss challenges that may impact production processes and workers. SanMar actively participates in Better Buying, which allows suppliers to submit anonymous feedback on SanMar’s purchasing practices. SanMar also is one of the few companies that make Better Buying reports available on their websites.
  • Compliance data management: SanMar tracks assessment remediation progress and evidence through its comprehensive data platform. SanMar also uses its factory and assessment data to identify noncompliance trends throughout its supply chain, including identifying the most frequent types of findings that require further action.
  • Capacity-building: Recognizing that companies, suppliers, and workers all have a part to play in promoting workers’ rights, SanMar emphasizes training for suppliers and for workers. SanMar also partners with civil society organizations to train workers on using grievance mechanisms to speak out about issues in the workplace. Finally, if suppliers are found to be non-compliant with FLA standards, SanMar requires them to complete training to help ensure the issues are remediated successfully.