SURPRISE! UP TO 50% OFF SELECT STYLES. SHOP NOW. Ends in :::

ACCOUNTABLE Audits

We’re not perfect, but we want to be perfectly transparent. Our rigorous and exhaustive audits give you insight into the good and bad at factories, so you can make an informed decision on the brands you support.

We’re launching ACCOUNTABLE with the report for our Nashville Headquarters —manufacturing home to our entire jewelry line.

Manufacturer Profile

Location:

NASHVILLE, TN

Products:

JEWELRY MANUFACTURING
AND FULFILLMENT

Owner:

ABLE

Established:

2014

Employees:

58 (56 WOMEN / 2 MEN)

ABLE’s mission is to end generational poverty by providing economic opportunity for women.

About Able:

ABLE was founded in 2010 and has grown from a single collection of hand-woven scarves to a one-stop shop for ethical fashion, offering leather goods, handmade jewelry, denim, clothing and footwear.

ABLE opened the Nashville manufacturing location when they acquired the jewelry line in 2015, and opened the flagship store in 2016.

INDEPENDENT AUDIT PERFORMED BY:

Divya Kapasi and Richard Demato; GoodOps, Inc

ABLE’S IMPACT:

ABLE is committed to protecting and empowering women in the workplace. They actively hire from marginalized communities, working with women who have often overcome extraordinary circumstances, because we know that when women thrive, so do the economies and communities around them.

JEWELRY DETAIL:

After a successful expansion into leather bags and accessories, ABLE acquired a local jewelry company actively hiring women out of rehabilitation programs and homeless shelters to provide them with employment and a transferable, professional skill set. They also hire certified bench jewelers, who help train new hires.

FUlFILLMENT DETAIL:

ABLE recognized an opportunity to create jobs for women in their local community by bringing order fulfillment in-house. As a result, the fulfillment department hires both locally out of rehabilitation programs and homeless shelters, as well as industry experts who oversee training, processes and development.

Download ABLE'S Detailed Report
STRENGTHS:
  • All employees are paid above a living wage.
  • There’s a strong focus on empowering women across all areas/stages of the value chain.
  • ABLE actively hires from vulnerable communities.
  • Positive working environment at brand headquarters with a strong culture and high regard for company leadership; brand employees are generally very happy and feel supported.
WEAKNESSES:
  • Need to increase safety for jewelry manufacturers by improving facilities and dress codes.
  • Need to create a formal and safe process for employees to report issues.
  • Improvements needed in supply chain around supplier practices.
  • Company has gaps in the extended supply chain assessment with potential undocumented risks upstream with second and third tier suppliers
  • Need to normalize social impact goals, targets and create an impact report to share with suppliers and customers

Corrective Actions Taken:

  • Various safety equipment was implemented, including ventilation at soldering stations, vacuum systems for any airborne risk while drilling, and eye-washing stations.
  • Policies and procedures were put in place to ensure safety, such as: training on soldering fuel, safe dress policies including aprons while soldering, closed-toed shoes and hair pulled back during production.
  • Certified bench jewelers and metalsmiths were hired to speak into safety processes and educate the team.
  • All production employees now meet with their supervisor twice a month and their supervisor’s manager quarterly.

Download ABLE'S Detailed Report

Upcoming Release Schedule

In August we launched our first ACCOUNTABLE report with the release of our Nashville Headquarters audit. Further factory audits from our manufacturing partners will be released starting with Ethiopia this fall, and Mexico, Peru, and Brazil to follow.