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In 2010, President Barack Obama signed into federal law The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Section 1502 of Dodd-Frank requires public companies to disclose whether they source “conflict minerals” – tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold – from the Democratic Republic of Congo and its nine neighboring countries. When this law passed, I sensed a business opportunity. Rather than avoid the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), KEMET used Dodd-Frank as an impetus for developing an innovative and socially sustainable solution to sourcing conflict-free tantalum from the DRC. This solution provides tantalum to many of the largest electronics companies in the world.KEMET is a leading global supplier of electronic components. Founded in 1919, we manufacture the broadest selection of capacitor technologies in the industry. We also offer electromechanical and electromagnetic devices, as well as supercapacitors. Capacitors store, filter and regulate electrical energy in just about anything that plugs in, has an on-off switch or uses a battery. We serve the military, automotive, industrial, telecommunication, computer, medical and consumer markets. Tantalum capacitors have been a key product for us since 1958, after Bell Labs invented the solid state capacitor in the mid-1950s. Today, about 46 per cent of KEMET’s revenue originates from tantalum capacitors. Tantalum ore is one area where the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) can be a world leader. This is due to the fundamental chemical nature of the tantalum molecule and the form in which it typically exists in the DRC. Tantalum powder is our single largest material cost item. Acquiring tantalum at stable and competitive prices is paramount. As the situation became difficult in the DRC due to multiple conflicts, customers did not want products with raw materials originating from the DRC – some even said that they did not want “blood tantalum” capacitors. The industry can procure tantalum ore from other locations and we did, mainly from China. However, the DRC enjoys the most cost competitive source. When the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed, we formed the KEMET Partnership for Social and Economic Sustainability, which has since developed the electronics industry’s first vertically integrated, closed-pipe, sustainable sourcing model. We get tantalum ore directly from a conflict-free mine in the DRC that is operated according to a special agreement between KEMET, our mining partner and the people of the mining town of Kisengo. The closed-pipe (it is processed and smelted by KEMET) ensures no tantalum from non-conflict-free sources enters our supply chain.PER LOOF, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, KEMET ELECTRONICSECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WORKING TOGETHER“WE CONTINUALLY STRIVE TO MAKE OUR INVESTMENTS IN KISENGO MORE IMPACTFUL AND SELF-SUSTAINING ”Below: The new hospital for the people of Kisengo has attended to over 30,000 cases in the last 30 months.060 SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS