Billabong
OVERALL |
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Owned |
USA |
Rating |
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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 | ||||
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 | ||||
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. |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
Billabong International Ltd | ||||
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) |
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)
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)
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)
This company has announced that they don't sell animal fur or are phasing in a fur-free policy.
Source: Humane Society (2019)
According to data released by the Australian Tax Office in Dec 2018, this company was one of 2,159 local and foreign-based companies that paid no tax in Australia in 2016-17. Please note however that companies pay income tax on profits, not revenue (total income). While some companies use tax havens and loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of tax in Australia, other companies that paid no tax have perfectly legitimate reasons.
Source: ATO (2018) |
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Boardriders Inc | ||||
The 2020 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 social and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 9%, signifying it has little to no information about their supply chain practices or policies available to the public. The average score was 23% and the highest score was 73%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2020) |
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 Labour Watch (2007)
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)
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)
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)
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)
C- grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's 'Ethical Fashion Report 2019', which grades companies, from A to F, on the strength of their systems 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: policies, transparency and traceability, auditing and supplier relationships, worker empowerment and environmental management.
Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2019)
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: Modern Slavery Registry (2017)
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 (2014) |
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Oaktree Capital Management LP | ||||
This company has an investment in Cannery Casino Resorts, which owns two casinos in Las Vegas and one in Pennsylvania.
Source: company website (2017) |
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)
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)
Foolow the link to see this company's policy on socially responsible investing.
Source: company website (2017) |
Company Details
Type | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
Revenue | $1.7 billion in 2009 |
Employees | 6,000 in 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 |
Fax | 07 5589 9800 |
Website | www.billabongbiz.com |