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Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement

This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and has been prepared with reference to the Home Office TISC Statutory Guidance on modern slavery, forced labour and child labour. It sets out the steps taken by Urschel International Limited during the financial year ending 31 December 2025 to prevent and address the risks of modern slavery, forced labour and child labour in our operations and supply chains.

This statement has been published on Urschel International Limited’s website in accordance with section 54(7) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. A link to this document is directly visible on the company’s home page.

Urschel International Limited takes a robust stance against modern slavery and human trafficking and is committed to ethical trading.

“Modern slavery” is a term which covers slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking. It includes exercising ownership over a person; coercing or threatening someone to perform work they would not do voluntarily; providing pay and working conditions that fall below minimum standards set by law (even where the individuals agree); and arranging or facilitating another person’s travel with a view to them being exploited (even where the person consents to the travel).

We oppose slavery and human trafficking in all its forms and make this statement to set out the steps we have taken and shall continue to take to ensure that there is no slavery or human trafficking in our business or in our supply chains.

1. Organisation structure, operations, activities and supply chains

Urschel International Limited is a business which manufactures and sells commercial size reduction equipment to the food processing and allied industries. The Company’s parent company is Urschel Laboratories Inc., which is based in the United States of America.

Our annual turnover, along with our subsidiary companies, is just under £61 million. The Company employs 21 employees in the UK.

The workforce consists primarily of permanent employees, supported where necessary by temporary agency workers and contractors. Urschel International Limited operates in the United Kingdom, and through our parent company and subsidiary companies and branches has operations in the United States of America, Argentina, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Netherlands,  Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand.

Our subsidiary companies, which also sell food-cutting equipment, are:

  • Urschel International Polska Sp. z.o.o.
  • SCI Urschel Laboratoires
  • Urschel LatinoAmerica, S.R.L
  • Urschel Espana S.L,
  • Urschel B.V.
  • Urschel AG
  • Urschel Deutschland GmbH

This statement is made on behalf of Urschel International Limited its branches and subsidiary companies.

Our supply chains support the manufacture, sale and servicing of commercial size reduction equipment, principally to the food processing industry. The principal source of the Company’s supply chain is the United States of America, as our parent company, Urschel Laboratories Inc., supplies the majority of parts and cutting equipment.

  • Our parent company in the United States of America, makes up in the region of 80% to 90% of our supply chain and supplies, to us and our subsidiary companies, the vast majority of parts and cutting equipment.
  • The remaining supply chain is made up of: –
  • Suppliers for new and refurbished component parts, tools and motors
  • Electrical parts and wiring installation; and
  • Metal sheet fabrication works.
  • Miscellaneous (stationery and office supplies, building repairs, transport, legal and professional services, etc).

These supplies are sourced primarily from the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other jurisdictions in which approved suppliers operate. The Company periodically reviews its supply chain and assesses sourcing risks as part of its modern slavery risk assessment process.

The Company uses third-party logistics and transportation providers to distribute products and spare parts. Such providers are included within the Company’s supplier due diligence and risk assessment processes where appropriate.

2. Policies in relation to modern slavery, forced labour and child labour

This statement reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to prevent modern slavery, forced labour, child labour and human trafficking in our business and supply chains.

  • Employee conduct: employees are expected to act ethically, with integrity and in accordance with Company policies and procedures.
  • Supplier conduct: suppliers and contractors are expected to comply with our values and to avoid any involvement in modern slavery, forced labour, child labour or human trafficking.
  • Recruitment: the Company seeks to ensure recruitment is lawful and ethical, including by carrying out right to work and age verification checks where required.
  • Responsible purchasing: the Company carefully selects suppliers and contractors and seeks to avoid purchasing practices that could contribute to exploitation.
  • Employment freedoms: we ensure workers are free to terminate employment in accordance with their contracts and applicable law and are not subject to restrictions on freedom of movement.
  • Freedom of association and collective bargaining: workers have freedom of association and are entitled to become members of trade unions.
  • Workplace treatment: the Company prohibits threats of violence, harassment and intimidation.
  • Working time: the Company prohibits forced or compulsory overtime. Working hours, overtime arrangements, rest periods and leave entitlements comply with applicable laws and contractual requirements.
  • Child labour: the Company prohibits child labour and requires evidence of age and right to work.
  • Identification documents: The Company does not retain workers’ original identification documents other than where required by law for verification purposes.
  • Access to remedy: concerns may be raised through grievance, whistleblowing or management reporting channels.

The Company’s policies and approach are intended to be consistent with internationally recognised standards on human rights and labour rights.

The Company communicates its expectations through employee training, induction, management communications and contractual terms where appropriate. Policies are enforced through supplier vetting, supplier confirmations, audits or visits where appropriate, grievance and whistleblowing procedures, disciplinary action for employees, and termination of supplier, contractor or agency relationships where breaches are identified.

Since the previous statement, the Company’s policies have continued to be reviewed on a regular basis, and this will be continued. Any updates to internal policies are carried out when necessary.

3. Risk management processes to assess and address risks

The Company’s risk assessment of modern slavery, forced labour and child labour is reviewed and updated (where appropriate) every  year but also when there is a significant and material change to the supply chain.

Responsibility for the risk assessment sits with the Board of Directors. The assessment is reviewed by the Managing Director and escalated to the Board where significant risks or concerns are identified.

The Company identifies and assesses modern slavery, forced labour and child labour risks by considering supplier type, supplier location, sector, use of employment agencies, and the nature of the goods or services supplied. The Company uses, or will consider using, the following sources and tools as part of its risk assessment process:

  • Conducting desk-based research on prospective and existing suppliers to identify any adverse information relating to modern slavery, forced labour or human trafficking.
  • Supplier vetting before placing orders with new suppliers, including checks on commitment to ethical labour practices.
  • Contractual provisions requiring suppliers to comply with anti-slavery and human trafficking expectations.
  • Supplier visits or other assessments where judged appropriate.
  • Requests for suppliers to confirm the steps they are taking to eliminate modern slavery and to review their own anti-slavery and human trafficking policies.
  • Requests for written confirmation from suppliers that agency workers are not being exploited as part of any slavery or human trafficking.
  • Reviews information received through employee grievance, whistleblowing or other reporting mechanisms.

During the reporting period, no incidents of modern slavery, forced labour or child labour were identified within the Company’s direct operations. The Company nevertheless recognises that risks may arise within broader supply chains and therefore continues to focus its due diligence efforts on suppliers, labour providers and logistics providers.

Based on the information currently available, the highest priority modern slavery risks to workers are associated with third-party suppliers, employment agencies and transport or service providers. The Company will prioritise risks in these particular areas.

4. Due diligence processes and remediation measures

The Company undertakes a range of actions to prevent modern slavery, forced labour, child labour and human trafficking in its operations and supply chains. These include supplier vetting, contractual expectations, supplier visits or assessments where appropriate, checks on agency workers, right to work and age verification checks, co-operation with customer audits, employee training, grievance and whistleblowing procedures, and escalation or termination where serious concerns are identified. During the reporting period, the Company continued supplier onboarding reviews, undertook due diligence on new suppliers where appropriate, verified right-to-work documentation, maintained grievance and whistleblowing channels and promoted employee awareness of modern slavery risks.

The Company engages with suppliers, agencies, customers and workers to develop and implement practical measures to prevent modern slavery and minimise specific risks. This engagement includes, or may include, supplier confirmations, supplier visits, customer audits, worker awareness of reporting routes and engagement with employment agencies.  The Company seeks opportunities to engage directly with suppliers regarding employment standards, recruitment practices and worker welfare.

The Company co-operates with its major customers to ensure that we comply with any employment practices and procedures specified in their audits including their systems to mitigate the risks of slavery and human trafficking.

Any concerns identified through audits, supplier discussions, customer assessments or whistleblowing channels are assessed and addressed.

Workers and employees may raise concerns through grievance, whistleblowing or management reporting channels. Agency workers are made aware of how to raise concerns.

Where a concern is identified, the Company will consider appropriate action to protect affected workers, investigate the concern and prevent recurrence. Existing remediation processes may include escalation to management, investigation under grievance or whistleblowing procedures, disciplinary action, supplier engagement, suspension or termination of supplier or agency relationships, and referral to appropriate external authorities where necessary.

Other actions to prevent modern slavery, forced labour, child labour and human trafficking include:

  • We have only employed agency workers through reputable employment agencies that will adhere to our anti-slavery and human trafficking policy.
  • All agency staff are made aware of how to raise concerns.
  • In order to ensure that there is no forced, bonded or child labour, we require the production of evidence of date of birth and a copy of a passport or other right to work documentation.
  • To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, we have and shall continue to provide training to our staff.
  • We may also require our business partners to provide training to their staff, suppliers and providers.
  • Training will often form part of an induction process for new employees, and we are committed, where appropriate, to providing further training during employment.
  • If a supplier is found to be involved in any form of modern slavery, its contract may be terminated either immediately or on its due renewal date, depending on the severity of the breach.
  • If it is established that any employee has acted in breach of any of our policies, or is aware of, has condoned or failed to report any suspicion of modern slavery within our business or supply chains, they will be subject to the Company’s disciplinary procedure.
  • If an agency is found to be involved in any form of modern slavery, the arrangement with it shall be terminated.
  • The Company recognises that commercial practices can influence modern slavery risk. The Company considers whether its business model, purchasing practices and business-related key performance indicators could cause, contribute to or directly result in modern slavery risks in its operations and supply chains. This includes reviewing numerous factors, including but not limited to pricing, use of employment agencies, transport arrangements and cost-saving incentives.

5. Assessing the effectiveness of actions taken

The Company uses the following key performance indicators to assess the effectiveness of the actions taken to prevent and respond to modern slavery, forced labour and child labour risks in our business and supply chains:

  • Maintain a record of any new suppliers and a record of any checks performed;
  • Record, monitor and follow-up any complaints by our employees through our grievance/whistleblowing procedures;
  • Maintain a record and the outcomes of visits to suppliers;
  • Maintain a record of all suppliers and agencies where we terminate relationships due to modern slavery breaches.

The Company also seeks to monitor:

  • Completion of modern slavery awareness training;
  • Percentage of new suppliers subject to due diligence screening;
  • Concerns raised through reporting channels;
  • Supplier audit findings and corrective actions; and
  • Reviews of supplier relationships identified as higher risk.

 During the reporting period, the Company did not identify any substantiated instances of modern slavery, forced labour or child labour within its direct operations. The Company recognises, however, that an absence of identified cases does not necessarily mean an absence of risk and therefore continues to strengthen due diligence, supplier engagement and employee awareness activities. The Company also recognises that preventing modern slavery, forced labour and child labour is an ongoing responsibility. As such, we will continue to review our procedures, supplier engagement and employee awareness activities to support continuous improvement and to ensure that our approach remains proportionate to the nature and scale of our operations and supply chains.

Approval of this statement
This slavery and human trafficking statement is made in connection with section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our Group’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2025. It was approved by the Board of directors on 13 August 2026 in accordance with section 54(6) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Richard Cranefield Director
URSCHEL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED