Introduction

This Modern Slavery Statement outlines BFX Furniture’s systems for identifying the risk of modern slavery in our operations and supply chain and implementing processes to minimise any risk.

BFX has elected to publish this statement voluntarily, as informed by the Modern Slavery Act 2018.

BFX recognise that slavery and human trafficking can occur in many forms including forced labour, child labour, human trafficking, forced marriage and deceptive methods of recruiting labour.

BFX are committed to operating responsibly and maintaining ethical standards across our operations, with a particular focus on risk areas within our supply chain.

Structure

BFX is a consolidated group of entities that operate under the business name BFX Furniture.

BFX Furniture is an Australian business, vertically integrated, and specialising in the design, manufacture and supply of education, office and commercial furniture for more than 40 years.

We service every Australian state and territory, and international schools across Asia with a growing team of locally based Sales and Project Consultants.

Our headquarters, manufacturing and supply facility is located in Yandina, Queensland. We maintain distribution centres in Melbourne and Sydney, and showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Townsville.

At 30 June 2024, BFX Furniture employed 237 people across Australia, peaking at 330 in January.

Addressing the risk of modern slavery practices

The BFX Furniture board and executive team are committed to operating our business in a transparent, environmentally and socially responsible way and to practicing good governance.

We oppose slavery in all its forms.

Policies and risk management processes have been implemented to identify and address the risk of modern slavery in our supply chain. This includes staff training, routine supplier evaluation, and supply chain mapping that encompasses a range of environmental and ethical risks, including modern slavery.

Operations and supply chains

BFX Furniture is committed to the superior design, production and supply of quality products and professional services.

With a modern manufacturing and supply facility on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, an international sourcing team, and a specialist delivery and installation service, BFX has a reputation for reliably delivering modern education and office furniture solutions.

Our goal is to forever enhance the social, environmental and economic sustainability of our business and to remain at the forefront of our industry in this endeavour. We achieve this through ethical sourcing and continuous improvement in our use of raw materials, energy and resources, waste minimisation and recycling, and furniture design that ensures our products are fit-for-purpose and built to last.

Our starting premise is an unblemished record of compliance with all local, state and federal legislation and Australian standards.

BFX Furniture’s vertically integrated supply chain includes our own factories, as well as local and overseas suppliers with whom the business has long-standing supply agreements in place.

Our supply chain is quality assured (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001), and our products independently tested and certified. We conduct routine supplier evaluation of our third party suppliers and supply chain mapping that encompasses a range of environmental and ethical risks, including modern slavery.

Our Queensland manufacturing facility produces custom and made to order furniture, sourcing raw materials and componentry from tier one suppliers mostly located in Australia. Our assembly division sources furniture that requires little or no customisation, with raw materials sourced largely from tier one and two suppliers located in Australia, China, Taiwan and Malaysia.

A supply chain analysis has identified two areas of risk. First, a generally low risk of modern slavery in the textile sector. Second, some second-tier overseas suppliers have a medium geographic and entity risk. For example, soft furnishings that are upholstered in textiles using cotton as a raw material and produced by second tier suppliers located in China where the prevalence of modern slavery per capita has a CCC rating.

Due Diligence and Remediation Processes

To date, BFX Furniture has had no reported incidents of modern slavery or breaches by its overseas suppliers.

Nevertheless, BFX recognises the inherent risk of slavery and human trafficking within the supply chain and has established internal processes to guide supplier selection and tendering, including:

• Modern slavery awareness training within BFX’s executive, management and procurement teams.
• Consolidation of purchasing within the procurement team.
• Pre-contract supplier assessment, examining the potential supplier’s reputation, ability to supply, integrity, financial strength and compliance with legislation and best practice before a supply contract is awarded.
• Regular review of existing suppliers in line with BFX’s QMS, EMS and GECA requirements.
• Ensuring that BFX Furniture do not purchase materials from suppliers that breach the UN Guiding Principles. If any existing suppliers are found to have breached the UN Guiding Principles, BFX Furniture will take immediate steps to reassess those supply arrangements.

Future commitments

In 2024/25, BFX Furniture’s focus areas are:

• Further centralising and refining our procurement processes.
• Further training of our procurement team with best practice initiatives.
• Reviewing identified risk areas in the supply chain and reporting to the BFX board annually.

Brad Henderson
Chief Executive Officer

9 December 2024