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Billabong

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Criticisms

Surfwear

Founded on Australia's Gold Coast in 1973. After years of struggling financially, Billabong was acquired for $380m by the US company that owns Quiksilver

Company Ownership

Billabong International Ltd   AUS     website         
  Boardriders Inc   
   owns 100% of Billabong International Ltd  
USA     website      facebook   twitter

Surfwear and youth clothing

Established in Torquay, Australia in 1970, but now based in the USA. In 2015 the American arm filed for bankruptcy, while Oaktree Capital took control of the company as part of a US$175 million refinancing. In Mar 2017 the company was renamed Boardriders Inc (formerly Quiksilver Inc), and in Jan 2018 announced it would acquire struggling Australian surfwear giant Billabong for $200m.

      Oaktree Capital Management LP   
       owns 100% of Boardriders Inc  
USA     website   email   facebook   twitter

Asset management

Formed in 1995. Today they have offices in 17 cities in 12 countries. Three quarters of their investments are in North America. Investments include surfwear giants Quiksilver and Billabong.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Billabong International Ltd
Business Ethics Class action settlement
Billabong reached a conditional agreement in July 2016 to settle a shareholder class action for $45 million. The class action commenced in 2015 and was pursued on behalf of approximately 730 institutional and retail investors, and concerned the timing of an earnings downgrade which saw share prices plummet.
Source: news article (2016)
Social Sweatshops in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines
This 2011 report by the International Textile Garment and Leather Workers' Federation (ITGLWF) examined working conditions in 83 factories in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Investigations found that widespread violations and abuses of workers' rights continue to be the norm, such as underpaying workers, long hours, forced overtime, and repression of the freedom of association. This company's brands were found to be made in one or more of the 83 factories covered in the research. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: ITGLWF (2011)
Business Ethics Former boss jailed for fraud
In Jan 2017 former Billabong boss Matthew Perrin was sentenced to serve eight years in jail for over 12 counts of fraud. Perrin was found guilty of forging his ex-wife's signature to defraud the Commonwealth Bank of $13.5 million.
Source: news article (2017)
Environment Paper policy
Following a campaign by the Rainforest Action Network in 2009, this company pledged to take concrete action to clean their supply chains of rainforest paper and sever relationships with companies (like Asia Pulp and Paper) who continue to destroy high conservation and endangered forests in Indonesia and elsewhere.
Source: RAN (2010)
Animals Fur free
This company has announced that they don't sell animal fur or are phasing in a fur-free policy.
Source: Humane Society (2019)
Social BHRRC company profile
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC (2022)
Boardriders Inc
Social 5/100 in 2022 Ethical Fashion Report
Baptist World Aid Australia's '2022 Ethical Fashion Report' assessed 120 companies on their efforts to mitigate against the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation in their supply chains, as well as protect the environment from the harmful impacts of the fashion industry. Assessment criteria fall into five main categories: policy & governance, tracing & risk, auditing and supplier relationships, worker empowerment and environmental sustainability. This company received a score of 5/100.
Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2022)
Business Ethics 7/100 in Fashion Transparency Index
The 2022 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 7%, signifying it has little to no information about their supply chain practices or policies available to the public. The average score was 24% and the highest score was 78%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2022)
Social No COVID Fashion Commitments
In 2020 Baptist World Aid Australia released The COVID Fashion Report, a special edition of their Ethical Fashion Report. The report is framed around six COVID Fashion Commitments that ask companies to demonstrate the steps and measures they are taking to protect and support the most vulnerable workers in their supply chains. This company showed no evidence of actions that it covered any of the COVID Fashion Commitments.
Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2020)
Social Sweatshops in China
This 2007 investigative report by China Labour Watch reveals poor work conditions for Chinese workers making products for this company, such as workers being required to work nine hours per day as regular hours in addition to five to six hours of mandatory overtime during peak season which accumulates to 14 work hours per day, about 420 hours per month. [Listed under information due to age of report]
Source: China Labor Watch (2007)
Social Worker exploitation in India
Maid in India', a 2012 report by two Dutch NGOs (SOMO and ICN) revealed how workers in the South Indian garment and textile industry continue to suffer exploitative working conditions while making garments for Western brands. While some recent improvements have been made, thousands of girls work under recruitment and employment schemes that amount to bonded labour. This company was shown to be sourcing from one or more of the four garment manufacturers investigated, and failed to respond to a review request. [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: SOMO (2012)
Animals Angora ban
This company has taken angora items off the shelves and promised not to use angora again, following a PETA campaign launched in Dec 2013 which revealed the cruelty inflicted on angora rabbits in Chinese factory farms, where 90% of the world's angora is produced.
Source: PETA (2018)
Business Ethics Quiksilver Foundation
The Quiksilver Foundation was formed in 2004 to bring all of Quiksilver's charitable giving under one umbrella. It is a non-profit organization committed to benefiting and enhancing the quality of life for communities of boardriders across the world by supporting environmental, educational, health and youth-related projects.
Source: company website (2012)
Business Ethics CanopyStyle member
This company is a member of the CanopyStyle initiative, which came about when research found that millions of trees are used every year to produce dissolving pulp, a key ingredient for fabrics such as rayon/viscose. The campaign seeks to phase out the use of endangered forest fibre in fabric.
Source: Canopy (2018)
Social Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website (2017)
Business Ethics OpenSecrets.org profile
OpenSecrets.org tracks the influence of money on U.S. politics, and how that money affects policy and citizens' lives. Follow link to see this company's record of political donations, lobbying, outside spending and more.
Source: Open Secrets (2020)
Oaktree Capital Management LP
Business Ethics Involvement in gambling
This company has an investment in Cannery Casino Resorts, which owns two casinos in Las Vegas and one in Pennsylvania.
Source: company website (2017)
Environment Unconventional oil & gas operations
This company has an investment in EXCO Resources, an unconventional oil and natural gas exploration, exploitation, development and production company, with a focus on shale resource plays. Operates mainly in Texas, Louisiana, and Appalachia.
Source: company website (2017)
Business Ethics Socially responsible investing claims
Foolow the link to see this company's policy on socially responsible investing.
Source: company website (2017)
Business Ethics UN Principles for Responsible Investment signatory
UNPRI is a set of six principles direct institutional investors may adopt to consider environmental, social and corporate governance issues when investing. UNPRI is a voluntary agreement.
Source: UNPRI (2020)
Social Involvement with Israel
This company is recommended for divestment by the Project of the American Friends Service Committee for its involvement in the Israeli occupation of parts of Palestine. Oaktree bought Veolia's operations in Israel, including a dump site in the occupied West Bank and a wastewater facility that serves illegal settlements.
Source: AFSC (2021)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Wholly-owned subsidiary
Revenue 1.7 billion AUD (2009)
Employees 6,000 (2013)
Subsidiaries GSM (Operations) Pty Ltd 

Clothing

GSM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Billabong International Ltd. It is the Group Operating Centre and Headquarters. It owns the majority of Billabongs trademarks.

Contact Details

Address 1 Billabong Place, Burleigh Heads, QLD, 4220, Australia
Phone 07 5589 9899
Website www.billabongbiz.com

Products / Brands


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