H.C. Starck Develops Worldwide Standard for Sustainable and Reliable Raw Material Sourcing

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May 21, 2010, 12:40 ET

GOSLAR, Germany, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- H.C. Starck GmbH, Goslar, one of the world's leading producers of refractory metals and suppliers to high-tech companies, has aligned its sourcing policy to broad sustainability criteria. The newly developed sourcing process called 'Responsible Supply Chain Management,' in short RSCM, is unparalleled in the world and may also become an international standard.

H.C. Starck initiated the development and implementation of RSCM independently in order to emphatically refute claims of the use of "illegal" materials and to show that it is possible to practice a socially and ecologically acceptable raw material policy throughout the industry. The Electronic Industry Citizenship Council (EICC) is also demanding a sustainable and reliable sourcing of raw materials for the electronic industry.

As the first company in its sector, H.C. Starck has introduced a sourcing process based on RSCM. In addition to the internationally recognized standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 und SA 8000, it takes into account traceability, transparency and the far-reaching ethical, social and environmentally friendly principles of raw material sourcing. The international launch of RSCM at H.C. Starck was tested and corroborated in an extensive review carried out by an independent expert, BUREAU VERITAS Certification.

"H.C. Starck sets new international standards with the raw material management system that we have initiated of our own accord," says Chairman of the Executive Board Dr. Andreas Meier. "Our RSCM activities are unique in our sector and have received international acclaim, as evidenced by the fact that H.C. Starck was recently nominated by the World Trade Group for the Sourcing Excellence Award in recognition of its sustainable RSCM commitment."

A core element of RSCM is supplier audits, through which the proof of origin of the raw materials and thus the relevant documentation of traceability are verified.

The standards defined in the RSCM system are also assessed, especially in connection with the sourcing of raw materials from mines. Here H.C. Starck can draw on its extensive pool of data and years of experience in the evaluation of raw material sources to check the plausibility of the assessment. Only those sources that are able to pass such an audit will be able to supply H.C. Starck. The company has already successfully conducted the first test audits with suppliers.

With nearly 3,000 employees at 13 sites around the world, the H.C. Starck Group is a leading supplier of refractory metals, technical ceramics and conductive polymers.

www.hcstarck.com

SOURCE H.C. Starck GmbH