Palladio Stone sources and supplies cut-to-size and worked natural stone products for urban landscape and building projects throughout the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland.

We use our experience and research to provide the most appropriate resources for any particular scheme.

We present this short explanation of these criteria which inform our approach to those aspects of business which supersede the simple concept of ' Supply and Demand ' and which will allow our present and prospective customers to consider whether our values coincide with their own and those to whom they may be responsible.

1. SOURCES

EUROPE

Much of the Natural Stone which we supply comes from European quarries and their associated works; with many of these we hold the sole sales rights. In all cases we have made every effort to ensure that the relevant E.U. Directives on Health and Safety, Working Conditions, Social & Welfare legislation etc.

INDIA

We only sell worked materials from Indian suppliers who now hold the relevant certification that no child labour is used in the winning or working of the materials.

CHINA

Because we have had to be certain that Child Labour is NOT used and that the quality, sustainability etc., meet our other expectations, we retain our own Quarry-Master in Northern China. There are of course, other wider concerns about the Peoples Republic of China which exercise the conscience of most of the free world. Whilst we may trade profitably and successfully with the P.R.C. and our customers can receive the benefits of competitively priced materials should we not try to make some difference ?……

Therefore we make an annual donation to a Recognised Charity that works with Children in China.

This money goes to: - Caring For China's Children
Registered Charity No.: 1075566

Since 1982 this U.K. charity has provided money, equipment and human resources to care for orphaned and abandoned children in China. It is also active in facilitation of adoption of Chinese children world-wide.

Please bear this in mind when comparing our quotations with others.

2. GENERAL CRITERIA RELATING TO ISO 9002 AND AGENDA 21 ITEMS

2. (i) ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

(a)	Palladio sources stone from quarries with identifiable and audited reserves. Usually our supply quarries have at least 100 years of winnable large block material without any requirement for licence extensions or overburden remantling.
(b)	The quarries (with the exception of one Slate quarry and one Basalt quarry) have a policy of salvage of small stone for sale and use locally.
(c)	The management and ownership of our supplier’s lies with trained and responsible people who are committed to employing local skilled and semi-skilled workers. The indigenous communities receive direct benefit and regular employment.

2. (ii) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

(a)	Palladio has a policy of sourcing materials as close to the point of use as practical within the parameters of sustainability, cost etc., which are imposed by any particular project and customers' requirements. Wherever possible we move goods by sea in bulk movement.
(b)	We encourage our quarry sources to sort and recycle waste material into local markets for use in road mending, gradient consolidation, rubble walling etc.
(c)	All of our European sources now comply with the relevant E.U. directives on waste management and on water course salvation and protection.

2. (iii) WELFARE AND WORKING CONDITIONS

(a)	Our European quarry sources are governed by the current National and E.U. directives on Working Conditions, Hours of Work, Holidays etc.
(b)	Health and Safety issues are less clear cut in certain countries. Palladio actively encourages good practice wherever we wield influence and has already abandoned 2 suppliers where we felt the labour force was working in unsafe conditions.

2. (iv) CHILD LABOUR We have mentioned our reservations about India in the first section of this paper. Palladio will not knowingly deal with any quarry or secondary source where under-age labour is used, or where youth is denied education as a consequence of exploitation in the local labour market. This issue is becoming more important and visible amongst those responsible for specifying and purchasing Natural Stone materials: it will, we hope, continue to grow in importance.

RESPONSE

Palladio would welcome any response or comment engendered by this short statement.

By Post: Mrs Debbie Crossman, Palladio, Station House,Station Road, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6JT
By Fax : 01747 871547
By Email: admin@palladiostone.com

Email: admin@palladiostone.com Tel: 01747 871546 Fax: 01747 871547 www.palladiostone.com