Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act
Introduction
This report is prepared in accordance with subsection 11 of the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act S.C. 2023 c.9 on behalf of Oaken Holdings Inc. (“Oaken Equipment”) and its affiliated entities. It covers the calendar year ending December 31, 2023.
Who We Are: Vision, Mission, and Values
Oaken Equipment is the leading Bobcat Equipment dealer network in Canada. We serve the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) through two Bobcat of Toronto outlets, Windsor-Essex County via Bobcat of Windsor, Greater Simcoe County through Bobcat of Barrie, and the District of Muskoka via Bobcat of Muskoka. Our team consists of expert equipment specialists, a seasoned sales division, a Bobcat Certified service department, the largest parts inventory in Canada, and an efficient rental department. Our core values include continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, resource prudence, and community protection.
Our Operations and Supply Chain
As a Bobcat dealership, we operate through structured sales, service, parts, and administrative departments. Sales activities involve customer engagement, negotiations, and facilitating equipment purchases. The service department handles maintenance, repairs, and customization. The parts department manages inventory and order fulfillment, while administrative functions cover financial management and compliance.
Supply Chain Overview
Oaken Equipment’s supply chain involves procuring equipment, parts and accessories from manufacturers and third-party suppliers, with logistics partners facilitating transportation and distribution. Although our exposure to forced and child labor risks is low, we source a significant quantity of supplies and materials from international manufacturers. This necessitates improved due diligence and transparency within our supply chains.
Policies and Due Diligence Processes
Oaken Equipment is committed to promoting responsible sourcing practices and ensuring materials are procured from suppliers who uphold human rights and ethical standards.
- Corporate Citizenship and Code of Conduct:
- Our Code of Conduct mandates that employees act as responsible corporate citizens, complying with laws governing product manufacture, safety, labor practices, and environmental protection.
- We prioritize continuous improvement and stakeholder welfare.
- Our Code of Conduct mandates that employees act as responsible corporate citizens, complying with laws governing product manufacture, safety, labor practices, and environmental protection.
- Ensuring Supply Chains are Compliant:
- We are in continuous communication with our primary supplier to ensure due diligence in safeguarding our supply chain against child labor and forced labor. See Supplier Code of Conduct
- Oaken relies heavily on our Doosan Bobcat to access and ensure that forced labour and child labour are not being used in the supply chain.
- Furthermore, we will maintain ongoing engagement with third-party suppliers to limit our supply chain’s exposure to those not compliant with regulations on forced labor and child labour.
- We are in continuous communication with our primary supplier to ensure due diligence in safeguarding our supply chain against child labor and forced labor. See Supplier Code of Conduct
- Transparency and Collaboration:
- Transparency and collaboration with suppliers, stakeholders, and employees are central to our approach.
Employee Training on Forced Labor and Child Labor
We are exploring suitable training platforms and resources to align with our policy development on forced and child labor.
Addressing Reported Risks
As of December 31, 2023, Oaken Equipment has not faced any situations of forced labor or child labor and has therefore not had to remedy or rectify such situations. At this time, we do not require measures to remediate the loss of income to the most vulnerable families that result from any measure taken to eliminate the use of forced labour or child labour in its activities and supply chains.
ATTESTATION
In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and in particular section 11 thereof, I attest that I have reviewed the information contained in the report for the entity or entities listed above. Based on my knowledge, and having exercised reasonable diligence, I attest that the information in the report is true, accurate and complete in all material respects for the purposes of the Act, for the reporting year listed above.
Kai Sørensen
President, Oaken Equipment
May 30, 2024