Design from Finland
DESIGN FROM FINLAND -is about the origins of Finnish design and the investment in Finnish professional design. The use of the label is supervised by the Association for Finnish Work. The label was awarded to North Outdoor on 19.4.2018.
The appreciation of Finnish work, lifestyle and nature are at the heart of North Outdoor's activities. That is why it is of paramount importance for us to design and test all our products under the cover of Finnish conifers. In addition, all the knitwear in the Nature collection is made in Finland. Our head office is located in Oulu, where we have built our own knitting mill in connection with our warehouse and logistics centre.. This is a very exceptional investment in the garment industry. Our modern machinery and top textile experts ensure that Finland designs and manufactures the world's best seafood in the world.
Mulesing-free merino wool
Used by North Outdoor merino wool is MULESING-FREE. Mulesing is a surgical procedure used by Australian sheep farmers to remove a piece of loose skin from around the sheep's backside. The formation of a scar prevents parasitic flies from settling and laying eggs on the skin of the sheep. When not anaesthetised, the procedure is painful for the sheep, which is why our merino wool comes from farms where mulesing is not practised.
Oeko-Tex ® Standard 100
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is an international, uniform testing and certification system for textiles. This certification, issued by an independent research institute, guarantees that North Outdoor products have not used substances harmful to health in contact with the skin.
Woolmark ®
WOOLMARK® is a global specialist company that guarantees the high quality of merino wool.The company's logo is one of the world's best-known and most respected trademarks. NorthOutdoor's products bear Woolmark's Pure New Wool (100% merino wool) and Wool Rich Blend (49.9%-99.9% merino wool) labels to indicate their merino wool content.
Amfori BSCI in a nutshell
The Amfori BSCI supports its member companies in their aim to promote ethics and social responsibility in their international sourcing and supply chains. The BSCI Code of Ethical Conduct is used as a tool. The initiative's implementation framework and policies are based on well-known international agreements, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions and Recommendations and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The BSCI develops its own and its member companies' performance through audits, training, communication and advocacy.
Responsibility and amphora BSCI
North Outdoor has been a member of amfori BSCI since 2019. Amfori BSCI (formerly known as the Business Social Compliance Initiative, BSCI) is a global initiative that aims to improve working conditions in international operations. For North Outdoor, we want to have an impact on our China-based merino wool- and packaging factories. Through the initiative, North Outdoor will be in a better position to guarantee responsible working conditions.
As a member company, we commit to comply with the amfori BSCI Code of Ethics. The Code will also be incorporated into the company's supply chain and continuous improvement will be sought. The Code of Conduct addresses issues such as the prohibition of child labour and forced labour, occupational health, safe working conditions, non-discrimination, protection of the environment, special protection for young workers and the right of workers to organise and bargain.
North Outdoor's activities in China
Although North Outdoor's order volumes from China are small, the amphora BSCI Code of Conduct is the best way to positively influence the local business and working culture. The Code of Conduct is also the basis for cooperation when North Outdoor's Chinese factory manufactures products for other companies. We systematically work with the producers in our supply chain and instruct them to act in accordance with the BSCI Code of Conduct to improve working conditions.
North Outdoor and factory monitoring
North Outdoor's Made in Finland products are made in Finnish factories. Our other products are made in China. We regularly visit all the factories used by North Outdoor, and we have also hired a local employee who is in constant contact with the Chinese factories. The aim of this is to increase cooperation and communication with the factories. In addition, the Chinese factories are audited by a third party.
Prior to the audit, the factory conducts a self-assessment according to the BSCI model. The factory is then audited by a neutral body accredited by SAI (Social Accountability International) in China. A professional third-party audit increases transparency and reliability. The audit can be used as a basis for a corrective action plan.
We closely monitor factory audit reports. The average grade of the factories used by North Outdoor is C (acceptable), with many factories receiving grades of A (very good) and B (good). The only reason for the C grade is seasonal overtime for factory workers, which was given a D (insufficient).
Our factories have a good level of employee involvement and long working hours are also something that employees want. The factories have such a seasonal production that overtime is available. Overtime is paid at an appropriate rate. Overtime in the factories we operate is not forced labour but voluntary, paid overtime.
Yarns
North Outdoor uses Intense Pro, All Day, Active, Sensitive and Arctic-yarns produced by the Südwolle Group. The Südwolle Group produces 100% wool yarns and wool blend yarns. Südwolle Group emphasises nature conservation and social and sustainable development in all its activities. The company is known for its high quality, environmental friendliness and good human resources management. The company's organic products are produced in a transparent and responsible manner. Südwolle was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany. Südwolle employs 3200 people worldwide. The company has factories in Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and China. Nature and Lux -yarns are produced at the Lanerossi Filati spinning mill in Italy. The wool originates in South America and Australia. The company emphasises responsibility and sustainability in all its activities. The high quality Lanerossi Filati yarns used by North Outdoor are Woolmark and Ökö-Tex certified.
