News Press Releases

PotlatchDeltic: Suppliers and Contractors

PCH | September 13, 2024

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / September 13, 2024 / PotlatchDeltic

The relationships we have with the companies and individuals we work with across our entire value and supply chain are important and viewed as an essential part of our success. Our Supplier Code of Conduct (Supplier Code) and Human Rights Policy outline the expectations we have of our suppliers and contractors. As part of our standard contract terms and operating procedures, key contractors in our timberlands and wood products facilities are provided with our Supplier Code and asked to verify that they have read and comply with its components. In addition, we provide training to contractors on the Supplier Code.

Healthy sustainable timberlands play a vital role in our business and in the quality of life for the communities in which we operate. We expect those who work with us to follow and implement all forestry regulations and best management practices including water quality, wildlife, and biodiversity. Timberland and real estate suppliers must comply with all federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations and any best management practices adopted by PotlatchDeltic to prevent environmental incidents. At our wood products facilities, suppliers and contractors must follow all laws and support our dedication to reduce air emissions, water use, energy use, and waste. Contractors and suppliers and their employees have the right to report environmental compliance concerns on PotlatchDeltic premises by reporting them to local management or by using the Hotline.

We expect those we work with to respect and promote human rights and to be ethical in their relationships with their workers, including migrant workers. Harassment and abusive behavior of all kinds is prohibited. We expect our supply chain to comply with laws regarding working hours and wages, child labor, and the prohibition of forced labor. The safety and health of our employees and contractors is a core value in our work environments, achieved through a commitment at all levels.

PotlatchDeltic takes our governance principles seriously to ensure that we run our business in an ethical and transparent manner, and we expect the same from our suppliers and contractors. Company assets and information as well as other confidential information accessed must be protected. Suppliers and contractors must not impair nor appear to impair business integrity and, therefore, they must not offer bribes, kickbacks, or other improper payments to secure or retain business or favored business treatment. PotlatchDeltic expects all those we work with to comply with all applicable anti-corruption and antitrust laws.

TIMBERLAND AND WOOD PRODUCTS CONTRACTORS

The logging companies that work in our timberlands are often run by individuals with decades of experience working in forests, with significant investment in equipment to handle different types of terrain, weather, and differing log sizes. These crews have expertise in understanding harvest prescriptions and best management practices, including protecting streamside management zones and water crossings, and minimizing soil disturbance. Harvest operators also need to be skilled in merchandising, which requires separating logs for different markets based on species, quality, and size.

Suppliers or contractors are also retained for growing or providing seedlings from a nursery, reforestation, silviculture work after the harvest, and managing insects and disease. Planting crews are a critical part of our supply chain, keeping the crucial cycle of harvesting, regeneration, and forest planning cycles intact. Much of this work is done by migrant workers, employed by silviculture contractors under H-2B visa programs, who return year after year to plant seedlings either by hand or by machine, depending on soil type and terrain.

Contractors and subcontractors working in our timberlands must be on our approved contractor list and our foresters track their environmental and safety performance. They are trained annually on a wide range of measures including forestry best management practices, threatened and endangered species, and safety policies. To continue working with us, timberland contractors and suppliers must demonstrate good safety records, have current training, and maintain all required insurance.

At our wood products facilities, contractors perform a wide range of work including hauling logs from the woods to the mills, performing environmental testing, maintenance work, and other services, providing supplies, transporting wood residuals to other end-users and capital project. In addition, the range of high technology equipment in a sawmill that maximizes efficiency, productivity, and resources often requires expert maintenance.

The contractors working on-site at our wood products facilities are pre-cleared through an online compliance management system. Contractor and supplier information and requirements are tracked online based on specific criteria we have established, including maintenance of minimum insurance levels and acceptable safety performance. Contractors are regularly monitored and evaluated for their health and safety performance. All contractors working at our facilities must receive training before being cleared to work at our sites. This orientation session includes health and safety training and training on emergency procedures.

The contractors we work with typically live in nearby communities, often where they, along with PotlatchDeltic, are a key economic contributor. They also often participate in these communities through charitable work and volunteering. Being a good corporate citizen is made up of the choices we make every day, and we want to work with others who operate the same way.