Trip Trap A/S
This case illustrates how a small Danish company Trip Trap collaborates with its largest
supplier in Thailand in order to improve health, safety and environment (HSE) conditions as
a core element of complying with the UN Global Compact principles.
Introduction
Trip Trap is a small Danish company that is headquartered in Ålborg and employs a total of 58
people in Denmark. The company produces timeless and high quality design products. Design
products are sold in Denmark under the trademark “Trip Trap”, while products are sold outside of
Denmark under the trademark “Skagerak”. Trip Trap exports its products to more than 40 countries.
The most important markets are in the Nordic countries and Europe. Most of the products are
produced abroad including in Thailand.
Responsibility at Trip Trap – high quality and durability
Responsibility is a corner stone of the company’s approach to business. Trip Trap highlights the
usability and the durability of its products. Trip Trap emphasizes that quality products have a longer
life and as a result have a lower environmental impact from the extraction of raw materials,
transportation, packaging and end of life initiatives compared to furniture that only lasts for a few
years. In order to conduct business in a socially and environmentally responsible manner Trip Trap
seeks to use materials of a very high quality and durability. Trip Trap continuously tries to develop
new materials that best protect the furniture so that it stays beautiful and functional for many years.
Furthermore, many products have been designed in such a manner that parts can easily be
exchanged and product life thereby increased. Trip Trap has set as a target that in 2020 it will only
use wood that is Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®1
) – certified and Trip Trap is making
significant progress in this direction.
Focus on responsible supply chain management
When Trip Trap in 2010 became a member of the UN Global Company, the company chose to
develop its own Code of Conduct (ethical guidelines) based on international principles. The Code of
Conduct would also apply to Trip Trap’s suppliers, and Trip Trap decided that the majority of its
1
License code: FSC-C004462.
suppliers would be audited in order to ensure that they complied with these requirements. Trip
Trap’s CEO Jesper Panduro explains the decision in the following manner: I am a former
accountant and therefore I expect a Code of Conduct to be audited. As a first step Trip Trap sought
to improve HSE conditions in its most important supplier factory, which is located in Thailand. Trip
Trap is this supplier’s only customer, the factory has about 150 employees and it has been a supplier
to Trip Trap for 30 years. Since 2003 Trip Trap has cooperated with NEPCon, an NGO that has
assisted Trip Trap in undertaking FSC-certifications. Trip Trap therefore asked NEPCon for
assistance in implementing its new Code of Conduct in the supplier factory. Together with NEPCon
Trip Trap developed a supplier self-test. In addition to the supplier self-test Trip Trap undertakes
control visits – typically visits are made by Trip Trap’s Quality Manager – and NEPCon is also a
third party monitor. If Trip Trap’s supplier does not comply with Code of Conduct requirements,
then Trip Trap and the supplier together work out a plan for how and when compliance failures will
be ameliorated.
Cooperation with NEPCon – an NGO
NEPCon is an employee-owned non-profit organization that is headquartered in Denmark. NEPCon
specializes in forest management and sees certification as an important instrument in order to secure
responsible utilization of the world's forests. NEPCon offers FSC- and ISO- certifications, which
are globally accepted certification schemes that are relevant for all wood-based businesses.
NEPCon’s mission is to contribute to promoting social responsibility and it only agrees to cooperate
with companies which see social responsibility as a core element of their business model. NEPCon
requires for example that companies are serious about this work and are willing to spend the
necessary resources.
Results
Trip Trap has benefitted from cooperating with NEPCon in Thailand. Trip Trap has not identified
any major problems at the supplier factor and so the focus has been to improve work processes with
the aim to establishing good HSE conditions and quality management. NEPCon has for example
assisted Trip Trap in making sure that the supplier is in compliance with all legal requirements in
Thailand. NEPCon has stressed the need for safety training of all managers, asked that workers
receive first aid training and have informed them about the correct handling of chemicals as well as
the importance of wearing safety masks. NEPCon has also instructed workers never to block
emergency exits and has made sure that the factory has established an HSE department.
Process
Trip Trap reports that the suppli