NEW YORK, NY - April 3, 2008 - The Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC) announced the launch of its Sharing Platform today. The FFC is a not-for-profit organization that provides tools to participating members to manage and share compliance information on factories around the world manufacturing consumer products.

For years the FFC has provided brands and retailers with a web-based compliance data management software solution that allows them to manage internal factory compliance programs. The FFC's rapidly growing database currently contains 18,000 factory records, with compliance data stored on 84 percent of factories in the system and over 36,000 compliance reports.

The launch of the Sharing Platform now allows members to share collaboration data, access other members' shared data, and initiate collaboration on non-competitive compliance efforts, such as audits and remediation efforts, in accordance with antitrust guidelines provided by our Business Review Letter from the Department of Justice. All sharing and collaboration on the FFC is voluntary and can be done anonymously or not. Members with existing proprietary systems can also participate in sharing.

"Facilitating collaboration between members to improve factory conditions is a fundamental goal of the FFC," said Marianne Voss, the FFC's Executive Director. "By choosing to participate in the FFC, our members are helping us build a community and organized forum that explores the potential of using technology to drive large scale collaboration to maximize financial and operational efficiencies for companies and manufacturers, thereby freeing up resources for improving factory workplace conditions."

The new Sharing Platform allows FFC members to:

- Search the FFC’s database to identify factories shared with other FFC members
- Contact members to help identify potential risk areas and prepare more targeted factory evaluations
- Initiate collaboration with other members on factory auditing and remediation to increase leverage with suppliers, create efficiencies, and reduce labor load and costs
- Access current and historical data shared on the platform for a complete picture of risk management
- Share factory audits and corrective actions plans with other members to contribute to the knowledge of the industry
- Gain an increased knowledge about critical compliance issues in the supply chain and the best practices for improving workplace conditions.

"The Sharing Platform is the first industry technology solution available to companies to scale up existing efforts and drive new efforts for collaboration on auditing and remediation among companies on a grand scale," said Marianne Voss. "We are now well positioned to deepen and expand our impact in facilitating collaboration, to further contribute to the knowledge of working conditions around the world, as well as significantly enhance our member companies' capabilities to make responsible sourcing decisions."

The FCC's growing membership includes Abercrombie & Fitch, adidas Group, ASICS America, Dress Barn, the Fair Labor Association, J.Crew, Levi Strauss & Co, L.L. Bean, Macy's Merchandising Group, Mark’s Work Wearhouse, Mountain Equipment Co-Op, Nike Inc., Nordstrom, Patagonia, the Starbucks Coffee Company, the Timberland Company, the University of Southern California, VF Corporation, as well as the National Retail Federation and the Retail Council of Canada.

About Fair Factories Clearinghouse

FFC is a non-profit organization incorporated in the State of New York in 2004. The FFC is supported through contributions and membership fees from retail associations and participating companies and through grants, including funding provided by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

For more information, see: www.fairfactories.org.

Fair Factories Clearinghouse

Fair Factories Clearinghouse

The Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC)'s is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 with a simple but innovative idea: offer software to companies, within a collaborative membership community. FFC One World is “A Collaborative Workplace.” In CSR, sharing information and experience results in greater knowledge overall, and this means progress. Through sharing and collaboration, beginners can gain from people with more experience. Small enterprises can learn from larger companies with greater resources and risk management backgrounds. A motive in common is to improve human rights and environmental working conditions around the world. Within the collaborative community are answers to many questions. Join. Ask. Share. Become part of the Fair Factories Clearinghouse partnership--support and take advantage of shared efforts to create more effective and efficient monitoring practices for you and the industry.

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