PRODUCT SAFETY AND CLEGG: OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

The issue of safety as it relates to the manufacturing of toys in China has recently been a newsworthy topic. As a leader in the promotional products industry, with more than 20 years of manufacturing experience in China, we felt it important to share some basic information regarding our manufacturing operations and practices.

Corporate Citizenship
Clegg is serious about the responsibility we have in working with both our customers and our employees. We recently  celebrated 20 years of success as a leading promotional products supplier. We have worked diligently during this time to develop and maintain positive supplier partnerships with our customers. We are committed to continue to provide you and your customers with innovative products that are safe and competitively priced.

U.S. Printing
The vast majority of our orders are printed in our Gardena, California facility. The ink we use for all of these jobs is purchased from U.S. manufacturers who provide us with MSDS sheets which comply with the major safety testing requirements including OSHA safety standards. Upon request, we can provide you with copies of these MSDS sheets.

Toys vs Promotional Products:
Almost all of the issues cited recently in the media pertain to the safety of products made in China, and typically refer to the lead content in children’s toys. Note that there are very specific tests established for toys sold within the U.S. However, as it relates to the vast majority of promotional products, the risk of an adult ingesting such a product is significantly less likely versus a child ingesting a small toy. Nevertheless, Clegg has established proactive testing for our product lines to ensure the safety of our customers.

Clegg Industries’ Corporate Oversight of China Production China Experience:
Clegg has been manufacturing products in China for the past 20 years. We have extensive experience working with our supplier/partners and have established very specific manufacturing protocols to ensure quality and materials integrity. Clegg maintains a small pool of supplier/partners which affords us strong oversight for quality. This is backed by the Social Audit Certification we have from the factories.

Clegg Shenzhen:
Clegg has its own corporate office in China which employs 25 Western and Chinese employees who are responsible for overseeing all of our production.

Factory Oversight:
Clegg is an owner in several of our factories, and has long-term partnerships with our other key factories. In fact, 90% of our manufactured goods come from one of our four factory partners. By forging true partnerships with these factories we are able to insist upon strict compliance with manufacturing and safety procedures.

Mercury-Free Batteries and Lead Compliance:
For our electronic products, we are moving to mercury- free batteries. In addition, we have begun testing on our major product lines for their lead content to confirm
that we are in compliance with RoHS test standards.

Testing Facilities:
Clegg has strong working relationships with several independent testing facilities in China that are commonly used by U.S. manufacturers. As requested by our customers, we can perform additional customized product testing. Pricing and leadtime for such testing will be confirmed on a case by case basis.

California Proposition 65:
As you may be aware, California has a law referred to as Proposition 65 that requires companies to include warnings with it products if they contain any toxic chemicals that might fall within the law’s parameters. Because the standard for chemicals is unclear, and because it is not practical to test a potentially limitless number of chemicals that are used in all products and components offered in the promotional products industry, many suppliers have begun including a warning to avoid liability for themselves, the distributor and the end users.

WARNING :  This product may contain a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive harms.

For further information on Prop 65, please refer to: www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/background/p65plain.html

In summary, Clegg Industries is very serious about its corporate responsibility to provide quality and safe products. We encourage you to speak with your Clegg Representative for further explanation on any of these matters, or to receive any of the documentation referenced here.