Sustainability

Overview

Sustainability has been labeled a buzz word, but to us at Butterfield & Vallis, it means more than just the initiatives prompted by our B&V Green Team. We believe the philosophy of sustainability should be evident in every aspect of our business, from our strategic planning to our daily business decisions. For Butterfield & Vallis, sustainability means developing and maintaining excellent customer and supplier relationships. It means developing and training our associates through programmes like our Leadership Development Programme, to encourage our people to reach their full potential as Bermuda’s best! It means charging realistic margins that are fair and beneficial for our community. It means encouraging a healthy lifestyle through initiatives driven by our Wellness Committee. It means a commitment to a safe working environment through our Safety and Health Committee initiatives.

It means constant scrutiny of our procedures, frequent upgrades to our systems, and superior maintenance and attention to our facilities and equipment. Our passion for excellence drives us to require certain standards which we believe will allow us to thrive for four more generations, and contribute to the success of Bermuda for another 100 years!

Our Green Team

The Butterfield & Vallis Green Team endeavors to identify opportunities to reduce our individual and collective carbon footprint. The Team implements strategies to encourage a lifestyle of energy conservation and promotes waste reduction.

Leadership Development Programme

CPD Leadership Development Programme and FSD Warehouse Development Team

Our CPD Leadership Development Programme and FSD Warehouse Development Team, are two groups of selected individuals in whom the Company sees great potential for current and future leadership positions.

The participants in each programme cycle through different positions within their division to give them a broad knowledge of our business. Participants are involved in both internal training and external courses to develop their skill sets, and all members work with our corporate coach on an individual and/or group basis.

We are excited about these individuals and encouraged by their passion for the wholesale food distribution business.

Safety and Health Committee

Butterfield and Vallis is committed to the Safety and Health of its workforce.

The Safety and Health Committee formally meets a minimum of 3 times a year and regular monthly safety inspections are part of “standard operating procedure” for all 3 businesses. In addition to its own internal process Butterfield and Vallis also welcomes external audits both from overseas suppliers and local service providers to help emphasize its commitment to safety.

In 2001,  the Company’s Drug Free Workplace Programme was introduced after initial recommendations from the Safety & Health Committee to the Senior Management Group. The Company remains committed to this initiative.

Regular CPR and fire safety training take place to ensure an adequate ratio of staff are prepared for emergency situations and fire drills at both warehouses are held annually. At no point is safety or health compromised with all operators of moving equipment being certificated and “approved” prior to them taking charge of their equipment.

The Wellness Programme

The Butterfield & Vallis Wellness Programme was started in January of 2006 with a small but enthusiastic Committee. The Committee organizes monthly walks for staff plus Lunch’n’Learns on topical health issues. Numerous sporting activities are planned throughout the year plus a health fair every other year.  The Company supports staff in numerous walking and running events. The Committee members try to lead by example and are very active in many sports including running, ball hockey, triathlon and cycling.