Dear Whistleblower, Dear Complainant,

The protection of human rights and the environment is one of the fundamental prerequisites for GESCO Group companies’ business activities.

The GESCO Group companies have therefore issued a policy statementin which they define their strategy for the protection of human rights and certain environmental goods and formulate their expectations vis-à-vis their employees and suppliers regarding respect for human rights and certain environmental goods. The policy statement also describes how GESCO Group companies fulfill their legal obligations to protect human rights and certain environmental goods in detail and which risks they pay particular attention to due to their specific business activities.

In order to make the protection of these goods as effective as possible, the GESCO Group has set up a grievance system through which you can report (potential) violations of human rights and certain environmental goods, provided that these (potential) violations have been committed by GESCO Group companies or their suppliers.

The grievance system was set up in accordance with the supply chain due diligence act1, which will apply to the GESCO Group beginning on January 1, 2024.

The aim of the grievance system is for your complaints and grievances to give GESCO Group companies the opportunity to initiate measures against imminent human rights and environmental violations before people or certain environmental goods have actually been harmed (early warning system). If a violation of human rights or the relevant environmental goods has already occurred, the grievance system helps as far as possible to prevent further violations of the same kind or minimize the consequences of damage (remedial measures).

1Act on Corporate Due Diligence to Prevent Human Rights Violations in Supply Chains (supply chain due diligence act) of July 16, 2021 (BGBl. I P. 2959).

GESCO Group companies include the following companies:

  • AstroPlast Group

    AstroPlast Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co.KG, Meschede, Germany

    AstroPlast Verwaltungs GmbH, Meschede, Germany

    https://www.astroplast.de

  • Doerrenberg Group (including Saglam/Tremblay/Middle Kingdom)

    Dörrenberg Edelstahl GmbH, Engelskirchen, Germany
    Dörrenberg Tratamientos Termicos S.L. Alasua, Navarra, Spain
    Saglam-Metal Sanyi ve Ticaret A.S., Şekerpınarı-Çayırova, Kocaeli, Turkey
    Doerrenberg Special Steel Corp., Macedonia, Ohio, USA
    Tremblay Tool Steels LLC., Macedonia, Ohio, USA
    Doerrenberg Real Estate LLC., Cleveland, Ohio, USA
    Doerrenberg Special Steels PTE. Ltd., German Centre, Singapore
    Doerrenberg International PTE. Ltd., German Centre, Singapore
    Doerrenberg Special Steels Taiwan Ltd., Taiwan City, Taiwan
    Doerrenberg Special Steels Korea Co. Ltd., Jeongwang-dong, South Korea
    Middle Kingdom Special Steels PTE. Ltd., German Centre, Singapore
    Jiashan Doerrenberg Mould & Die Trading Co., Jiashan, China

    https://www.doerrenberg.de

  • Funke Group

    Franz Funke Zerspanungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Sundern, Germany

    Franz Funke Verwaltungs GmbH, Sundern, Germany

    https://www.franzfunke.de

  • INEX Group (including Sommer & Strassburger/Hubl)

    INEX – solutions GmbH, Bretten, Germany

    Sommer & Straßburger Edelstahlanlagenbau GmbH, Bretten, Germany

    So-Stra Verwaltungs GmbH, Bretten, Germany

    Hubl GmbH, Vaihingen/Enz, Germany

    https://www.inex-solutions.de

  • MAE Group

    MAE Maschinen- und Apparatebau Götzen GmbH, Erkrath, Germany

    MAE Amerika GmbH, Erkrath, Germany

    MAE-Eitel, Inc. Orwigsburg, Pensylvania, USA

    MAE Machine (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Peking, China

    https://mae-group.com

  • Pickardt & Gerlach Group (including Hekhorn

    Pickhardt & Gerlach GmbH & Co.KG, Finnentrop, Germany

    Hekhorn Verwaltungs-GmbH, Finnentrop, Germany

    Hekhorn Immobilien GmbH, Finnentrop, Germany

    https://www.pgwpgw.de

  • Setter Group (including Q-Plast/SQG/HRP)

    Setter Holding GmbH, Emmerich, Germany

    Setter GmbH & Co Papierverarbeitung, Emmerich, Germany

    Q-Plast GmbH & Co. Kunststoffverarbeitung, Emmerich, Germany

    Q-Plast Beteiligungs-GmbH, Emmerich, Germany

    Setterstix Inc. Fountain Inn, South Carolina, USA

    SQG Verwaltungs-GmbH, Emmerich, Germany

    SETTERSTIX de Mexico, S.A.de C.V., San Luis Potosi, Mexico

    HRP-Leasing GmbH, Emmerich, Germany

    https://www.setter-germany.com

  • SVT Group (including CONNEX/BAV)

    SVT GmbH, Schwelm, Germany

    SVT APAC Pte. Ltd., Singapore

    CONNEX SVT Inc., Katy, Houston, Texas, USA

    BAV- Tababanya Kft, Tababanya, Hungary

    https://www.svt-gmbh.com

  • United MedTec Group (including Amtrion/Tragfreund/Haseke)

    United MedTec Holding GmbH, Porta Westfalica, Germany

    AMTRION GmbH, Porta Westfalica, Germany

    Tragfreund GmbH, Porta Westfalica, Germany

    Haseke Beteiligungs-GmbH, Porta Westfalica, Germany

    AMTRION USA Inc., Fountain Inn, South Carolina, USA

    https://www.amtrion.de

  • Kesel Group

    Georg Kesel GmbH & Co.KG, Kempten, Germany

    Kesel & Probst Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Kempten, Germany

    Kesel International GmbH, Kempten, Germany

    Kesel Machinery (Jiashan) Co.Ltd., Jiashan County, Jiaxing City, China

    Kesel North America, LLC, Janesville, Wioming, USA

    https://www.kesel.com

The grievance system is based on rules of procedure. You can view these via the following link.

The rules of procedure describe

  • who can submit a grievance or complaint,
  • in which cases a grievance or complaint can be submitted,
  • where the grievance or complaint can be submitted,
  • the manner in which the grievance or complaint is to be submitted,
  • the manner in which the complainant is protected against possible retribution and
  • the procedures that GESCO Group companies will use to address a grievance or a complaint.

 You can submit your grievance or complaint regarding (potential) violations of human rights or certain environmental goods by GESCO Group companies or their suppliers in various ways. You can submit them to the Internal Grievance Office of the GESCO Group or to external grievance offices. Details can be found in the rules of procedure.

If you wish to submit your complaint or report to the Internal Grievance Office of the GESCO Group, you can use the following input mask. After pressing the submit button, your grievance or complaint will be forwarded directly to the GESCO Group officers for (potential) human rights violations or for (potential) violations of certain environmental goods by a GESCO Group company or its suppliers. You can also contact these officers directly. Details on this and on how to deal with your grievance or complaint can be found in the rules of procedure.

Anonymous

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General

Data protection, anonymity, confidentiality

Insofar as personal data is collected as part of the grievance procedure, it is collected, processed, transmitted and stored in compliance with data protection regulations. In accordance with Section 10, Paragraph 1 of the supply chain due diligence act, this data is documented and stored securely.

Complaints and information will be treated confidentially throughout the entire grievance procedure.

The identity of the complainant will not be disclosed to GESCO Group companies or suppliers of GESCO Group companies if you do not wish your identity to be disclosed. Identity protection is ensured even after the grievance procedure has been completed.

However, identity protection cannot be granted if the disclosure of the identity is unavoidable due to a legal obligation (e.g., in the context of criminal proceedings).

The information provided by the complainants may also serve as a basis for internal investigations at the GESCO Group companies affected by the grievance or complaint or external investigations at the suppliers of the GESCO Group companies affected by the grievance or complaint.