Our mission

Our mission is to share our passion and expertise for indoor and outdoor fire making by delivering consistently safe and reliable products that make firelighting, barbecuing and cooking as convenient and enjoyable as possible.

Our commitment

Our business is underpinned by a number of core principles concerning our environment, the way we conduct business and our people. Standard Brands is committed to:

• Providing our customers with consistent quality, safe and innovative solutions
• Conducting our business with integrity and professionalism
• Respecting the local customs and laws in all countries where we operate
• Protecting the health, safety, personal security and well-being of our people
• Where possible, working towards utilising sustainable sources and procedures throughout our company

Our values

• Customer focused thinking: we aim to be entrepreneurial, innovative and customer-led in our actions and ideas
• Transparency: we expect openness and integrity in all our transactions
• Understanding: we strive to understand the needs and goals of our consumers, retailers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders
• Collaboration: we aim to work in mutually beneficial relationships with our partners and distributors, take responsibility for our actions and support each other in our pursuit of success
• Profitability: we realise that in all our endeavors we must sustain a business that delivers profitable, cash generative growth
• Enthusiasm: we love what we do and do it with energy and focus to be the best we can be

Quality Control

We have had our quality standards in place for over 80 years and we are confident that every firelighter leaving our factory is ready for a consumer to safely light their fire.

From the warehouse workers, production lines through to the Managing Director, each team member takes pride in our quality policies that include on-going vigilance and individual empowerment to maintain our premium quality products. Our employees are encouraged to recognise Potential Quality issues, and regularly propose ideas to improve quality. Our factory is regularly audited on an annual basis and we have won industry awards and recognition for the standards that we set ourselves.

We are proud that our products are of such a high standard that we have a retailer open door policy and encourage our large retail customers and consultants to visit our production site. We are always willing to make changes to improve our products for customers and consumers, and last year we only received 1.18 complaints per million packs sold.

In recognition of sustained high levels of quality performance, Standard Brands quality management system continues to be accredited to ISO 9001 and fully BRC certified.

Taking care of the environment

Here at Standard Brands we are sensitive to our environmental impact and we continuously take initiatives both large and small to improve.

Since the company formed in 1936 there has always been an inherent responsibility for the surrounding area where our factory is located and where many of our employees live. In 2008 we successfully launched our Sustainability Initiative and have made significant changes to the way that we operate as a business and as a production facility.

The waste generated from the products we manufacture is fully recycled back into production and our control procedures ensure that our liquid discharges are compliant with licence agreements and relevant legislation. Our firelighter packaging is 100% recyclable and we have a natural range of products made from wood and wax with FSC accreditation.

Recently we have developed a unique firelighter using a formulation comprising of naturally derived, fully sustainable Biofuels that are kind to both the environment and wildlife.

Working practices such as Skype calls, car sharing and double sided printing/photocopying and recycling are now second nature to us. We actively seek out and source materials from suppliers who have a similar environmental outlook and standards to us. Collectively, we believe that we can all make a difference and will continue to invest in our environmental initiatives.

Standard Brands continue to be accredited to ISO 14001 - The international standard for Environmental Management Systems

Giving back

TREES FOR THE FUTURE

Planting trees, changing lives

In 2008 we actively became involved in with a charity called Trees for the Future (TFTF). They are focused on helping the developing world, by working with rural communities to plant trees, thereby enabling them to restore their environment, grow more food, and build a sustainable future.

Trees for the Future are dedicated to improving impoverished, degrading lands. Over 113 million trees have been planted with tens of thousands of farmers in over two dozen countries since 1989. Despite their huge accomplishments, 2014 was a year of review and change for the charity, investing heavily in pulling together all available expertise and experience in order to refine their holistic forest garden program. Through this improvement, farmers are supported for intently and for more time then was possible before, improving livelihood opportunities no end. The Forest Garden campaigns follow a 4 year model, using a phased approach in order to maximise and sustain a successful future for farmers. This process is implemented using four effective steps: Mobilization, Graduation, Revitalization and Diversification.

During 2014, TFTF evaluated its body of work in light of the Forest Garden programme. As the new programme maximises impact through working with larger groups of farmers for longer periods of time, they are focusing on the countries most in need. However, they are ensuring the future sustainability and success of other countries by providing farmers with the training and tools they need to succeed as independent communities. In Brazil, TFTF helped founder Fernanda Peixotogrow the local organization ArvoresParaoFuturo, for a number of years. It recently received official NGO recognition from the government, enabling and assisting them with their continued work on tree planting projects far into the future.

Throughout 2015 and into the future, TFTF will focus on working in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzanian, Cameroon, Mali and Senegal. In Cameroon, for example, TFTF are working with Farmers from over 40 communities to establish Forest Garden Systems on over 300 acres of land where they can produce needed crops and marketable products. The effects of this work are already becoming apparent, in 2014 the Cameroon government designated the TofalaHill Wildlife Sanctuary as fully protected, in part because the adjacent communities have shown that they have viable livelihood opportunities that reduce pressure on the forests and watersheds in the area.

Comment from Standard Brand's Managing Director

“Zip brings warmth and comfort to many thousands of homes every year. There are many people in under developed areas of the world who are struggling for the very basic requirements of food and shelter. In our busy lives, it is easy to forget how fortunate we are and that it is our duty to help those who are not as lucky as us. The passion, enthusiasm and dedication that TFTF show is an inspiration to all of us and we are proud to support the work that they are doing.”

Terry Coates

Managing Director