Community

Fundamental changes are underway within our industry and our Company, including increased competition globally and changing markets for our products, with the bulk of future sales growth expected to occur in emerging markets. At the same time, we and other companies are expanding sourcing in these lower-cost emerging markets, as a way to serve both local markets and the global supply chain. These changes are affecting not only how we manage our operations, but also how we engage with and affect the communities in which we operate.

Whether doing business in Michigan or Malaysia, we seek to respect and make a positive contribution to our host communities. Operating in emerging economies, however, does bring with it some new community issues for us to understand and manage.

One of these issues is human rights. Specifically, we must ensure that our products, no matter where they are made, are manufactured under conditions that demonstrate respect for the people who make them. We also must respect the rights of people living in the communities around our facilities, as well as our suppliers' facilities, who may be affected by those operations We view respect for human rights as not only a core operational issue, but also as a key to maintaining the trust and respect of local communities. That trust is critical if we want to continue to operate and, increasingly, sell our products in those locations. See the Human Rights section for more information.

We also work closely with the communities in which we operate to minimize negative impacts of our corporate restructuring.