Colortrac initiates first Code of Conduct in Wide Format Scanning.

High standards of professional conduct are essential for Colortrac who require that its employees understand and comply with its values and policies. While Colortrac rely on the good judgment of its employees to comply with the law, act with integrity and safeguard its reputation in every situation, the Colortrac Code of Conduct provides them with a sense of direction in the application of corporate policies.

Colortrac develops and manufactures cutting-edge, high-quality wide format scanners which it sells via hundreds of distributors and value-added professional resellers who represent the company and its values worldwide. As the leading innovator in traditional CCD (charge coupled device) large format scanners and the biggest supplier of standalone CIS (contact image sensor) scanners worldwide, now the new standard for technical document scanning, Colortrac sources hundreds of components from many companies and countries.

As a result of the diversity of its growing global business associations, Colortrac has set out a Code of Conduct which is to be applied to the design, production, supply and support of Colortrac products worldwide. It applies to all Colortrac employees and governs the company's relationship with all stakeholders, including suppliers, customers and the environment in which it operates. All Colortrac employees are expected to comply with the Code of Conduct, even if it stipulates a higher standard than required by national laws or regulation.

Colortrac expects and encourages it suppliers to embrace the objectives of the Code of Conduct as well. It is committed to doing business only with those who adhere to Colortrac's progressive values and the sense of responsibility that has guided the company since its inception in 1989. Colortrac will verify compliance through information received and by being allowed access to the supplier's premises for the purposes of an audit. An annual report on the level of compliance with the Code of Conduct will be produced and posted on their web site.

Graham Tinn, managing director Colortrac, said While Colortrac is a comparatively small manufacturing company, we are one of the world's largest manufacturers of wide format colour scanners. As a market leader, we have a responsibility to ensure that our labour and ethical practices conform to universally recognized standards and that our products comply with environmental laws and with best practice.

As a company, Colortac has always abided by the principles set out in its Code of Conduct, as well as in the concept of continuous improvement. By setting out our company's policies and work practices, we are showing our customers and suppliers what is required in order to do business with us in the global economy. We recognize that working people worldwide have certain basic legal rights to safe, healthy and fair conditions at work. Instances of forced labour, child labour, exploitation and financial corruption are unacceptable.

Customers can have confidence in the Colortrac brand knowing that those who work for us are treated with fairness, dignity and respect and that at all times we manufacture our products in the most environmentally sensitive, friendly and responsible way.

Our main supplier is our subsidiary based in Suzhou, China where they already comply with our required ethical and environmental standards and have ISO14000 (environmental) certification. Our Chinese workers have all formally signed up to the Code and will be audited on compliance with it on an ongoing basis. Internal breaches of the Code could lead to disciplinary action. We will report on our compliance with the Code and the measures we have put in place to achieve it on our web site on an annual basis.

We do not see any conflict between the adoption of ethical standards and competitive pricing. Indeed by encouraging best practice and continuous improvement we will be constantly seeking innovations in our product design, manufacture and packaging. We aim to use less natural resources and produce cheaper and more efficient products, both in terms of natural resources used and life cycle of the product. If our suppliers blatantly ignore the Code, despite warnings from us, we will source our components elsewhere warns Tinn.

Colortrac's success sees its wide format products sold in some of the remotest regions on earth where they are supported some 22 hours per day by Colortrac's worldwide offices. A commitment to the wide format scanning industry's first Code of Conduct is an assurance that Colortrac is intent on growth with integrity and corporate responsibility for human rights, labor rights and the protection of the environment.