Bergstrom Climate Control Systems

For the last 75 years, Bergstrom Inc. has developed into a leading designer, manufacturer and seller of climate and thermal management systems and components for commercial vehicles, commercial and residential systems and battery energy storage systems. As part of our dedication in becoming a leader in our market space, Bergstrom is dedicated to respecting human rights and responsible labor practices throughout all our operations. We believe this commitment is the right thing to do and part of our culture in creating a more sustainable Company.

We strive to uphold human rights principles in all the ways that we interact with people as employees, customers, suppliers, contractors, and community stakeholders. To ensure that we are living up to our commitments, we have established processes to review and remedy adverse impacts on individuals, employees, and communities impacted by our operations.

Bergstrom commits to respect and support the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, as well as the human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

 

Our Culture

Bergstrom is committed to building a culture of Trust and Integrity. In this culture, our employees can be:

  • Optimistic – we can solve any problem or overcome any obstacle together
  • Authentic – we will "Walk the Talk.” We will state what we are going to do and then execute against those statements. We will support agreed upon strategies and decisions.
  • Focused – driving action on the most important issues and, almost more importantly, stop utilizing resources on items that are not mission critical.
  • Decisive – people are our most valuable asset. We embrace the value of differing opinions and ideas. We will empower all to make decisions and require both our leaders and employees to act in a timely manner.

In support of this culture, we will be ethical, data driven, business process oriented, and promote continuous improvement.

  

Our Code of Conduct

Our Code of Conduct is the foundation of our commitment to ethical conduct and provides a foundation to the policies that govern how we do business. This Code describes the accepted business behavior of all Bergstrom employees as we interact with each other, our customers, our vendors, and our community: Attitude, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork, Communication, Performance, Innovation, and Reputation.

ATTITUDE - We practice a positive, helpful, winning attitude.

RESPECT - We treat everyone with respect, honesty, dignity, and courtesy.

  • We recognize that the uniqueness and diversity of our team members make us stronger.
  • We encourage and respect breaking away from familiar ways of thinking and acting.
  • We look for ways to encourage and praise others for their accomplishments.
  • We may disagree with ideas to find the best solutions to problems, but we do not criticize people.
  • Use of vulgar, profane or abusive language is not acceptable in any form.

INTEGRITY - We do what we say we will do.

  • We make only commitments we will keep.
  • We do not fail to deliver, whether to our team members, to our customers or to ourselves.
  • We do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.

TEAMWORK – Our success depends on everyone’s performance; we are in this together.

  • We confront issues together.
  • We help people with difficulties without being asked.
  • We disagree constructively and not vindictively in separate conversations.
  • Once a decision is made, we draw together to support it.
  • We win and lose together - as a team.
  • We do not get our own results at the expense of our colleagues.

COMMUNICATION – We will acquire and provide the information needed to perform our roles masterfully.

  • We say what we mean and mean what we say.
  • We create a record of all important communications.
  • Confidential information remains confidential and is shared on a "need to know” basis.
  • We resist communication that detracts from the mission.

PERFORMANCE – We believe that every person can perform in an extraordinary way.

  • We are accountable for our actions and for meeting the needs of our customers.
  • We set and achieve performance and learning goals.
  • We are always working toward mastery of our role.
  • We practice discipline in all that we do, including attendance, timeliness of work, quality of work, output, and maintenance of a clean and well-organized work area.

INNOVATION – We will continuously reinvent a better way of doing what we do.

  • We look for improvements in all areas of the company to become the best.
  • We do not passively accept things as they are.

REPUTATION – We will maintain Bergstrom’s integrity and reputation through behavior that is performance driven, courteous, respectful, professional, and ethical.

 

Our Commitment

Bergstrom requires compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations in the locations in which we do business. The following standards are based on recognized international human rights standards. We recognize that instances may arise where local law, national law and international human rights standards do not align. Where they conflict, we will comply with local and national laws and explore alternative ways to respect international human rights standards to the greatest extent possible.

1. Child Labor

Bergstrom prohibits the use of child labor in our operations and supply chain. We prohibit the hiring of individuals under the local legal minimum working age. Younger workers may be employed through Company approved, short-term internships, apprenticeships, or work experience programs, but they are never permitted to perform work that may threaten their health and safety or hinder their education or vocational training. We require the age of our workers to be verified at the time of hiring and will diligently work to remediate any potential policy violations.

2. Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

Bergstrom prohibits the use of all forms of modern slavery or forced labor, including: involuntary prison labor, indentured labor, bonded labor, military labor, slave labor, and any form of human trafficking. All employment decisions must be based on free choice. No employee may be coerced to work or subjected to physical punishment or threats of violence or other forms of physical, sexual, psychological, or verbal abuse as a method of discipline or control. Furthermore, no worker should be required to pay recruitment or other similar fees to secure or retain their employment. The cost of recruitment should be borne by the employer.

3. Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

Bergstrom believes that all people have the right to have their voices heard by raising their good faith concerns, either openly or anonymously, without any negative consequence. We respect the right of all employees to choose, voluntarily and free from coercion, whether or not to collectively bargain and seek representation from third parties or to refrain from doing so. We also believe that employees should be fully and accurately informed when making the important decision of whether to elect a third party to represent them. Regardless, Bergstrom is committed to creating a culture of openness and employee involvement in all of the locations in which we operate.

4. Harassment and Discrimination

We value the diversity and unique contributions of our employees and have a long-standing commitment to equal opportunity and intolerance of discrimination and harassment. Simply put, Bergstrom has zero-tolerance for any type of harassment or discrimination. This includes harassment or discrimination based on race, color, age, sex or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, religion, creed, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship, ancestry, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy, marital or familial status, or any other protected category under applicable law. Prohibited behavior includes harassment or discrimination by or against Bergstrom employees, applicants, temporary workers, and third parties, including customers, visitors, or vendors of Bergstrom.

5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Bergstrom believes that all people have the right to fully participate in the workforce to the greatest extent of their individual capability. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for all. We believe that bringing together individuals who have diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills, and perspectives adds value to our business. We believe that doing so will help us attract, develop, and train talent for the betterment of our Company.

6. Workplace Safety and Health

Bergstrom believes in providing a safe and healthy workplace for all of our employees. Creating a safe workplace for all is one of our core values and is a shared responsibility. We are committed to seeking ways to prevent accidents and injuries, stopping unsafe work, conducting root-cause analysis of all serious incidents and near misses and ensuring that every employee is properly trained to safely perform at work.

7. Wages, Hours, and Benefits

Bergstrom is committed to compensating our employees competitively relative to the industry and local labor markets in which we do business. All employees will be compensated fairly regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or marital status. We operate in full compliance with applicable wage laws, including those related to minimum wages, overtime hours, and legally mandated benefits. Working hours for our employees shall be limited to what is permitted by local laws.