Kontoor

Kontoor integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2022 ESG Report: “[W]e committed to work only with factories that support a worker well-being or community development program by 2025…. We will support additional suppliers in implementing similar programs that meet at least two of our defined worker well-being dimensions: Physical, Intellectual, Emotional/Mental, Social, Environmental, Financial and/or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)…. Starting in 2021, we began incorporating ESG-related performance metrics into our Annual Incentive Plan (AIP), which determines eligible employees’ bonuses, including members of the Executive Leadership team” (1). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Global Compliance Principles require international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (2). However, Kontoor has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).

Kontoor does not discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. However, it will only give to religious organizations that provide non-sectarian services (1).

Kontoor requires its employees to take unconscious bias, microaggression, and DEI training (1)(2). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment and promotions. From its DEI webpage: “To increase our diversity of thought and experience, we must recruit, retain and promote from a diverse group of candidates. In addition to continued education for hiring managers, we implemented a new candidate relationship management platform to better engage with a pool of diverse candidates” (3). In July 2022, America First Legal filed a letter with the EEOC requesting a civil rights investigation into Kontoor over discriminatory practices in hiring (4)(5). The company is an affirmative action employer. “[W]e are dedicated to taking affirmative action to employ and advance in employment-qualified individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans and other eligible veterans” (6). In 2024, Kontoor rebranded its “Inclusion and Diversity” language as “Belonging.” The company appears to have materially changed the underlying divisive corporate policies/practices, removing all mentions of ideological trainings, discriminatory hiring practices, and company support of divisive groups and initiatives (7)(8). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (9).

Kontoor is aligned with the Paris Agreement, which entails a commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices, hosting a DEI Council and employing a DEI officer (2). Kontoor supports DEI within its business practices. From its DEI webpage: “The natural connection between Inclusion & Diversity and our business strategy is a powerful one. We’re determined to strengthen that connection, from the way we recruit and develop talent, to the way we show up in the marketplace and in our communities as inclusive brands. Each one of us is accountable to strive to achieve our strategy, measured on our ability to create a growth culture that is worthy of our greatest aspirations” (3) The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2022 ESG Report: “The ESG Council is a crossfunctional council with a mandate to support and champion the Company’s commitment to all Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters, including environmental and climate change-related matters…. The ESG Council assists the ERM Council in its oversight of significant ESG risks, strategies, policies, programs and practices to further our business purpose and strategy, culture, values and reputation in the best interests of our stakeholders” (4). Kontoor’s subsidiary Lee launched a “Lee is Love” campaign celebrating contributions the LGBTQ+ population has made to its community (5).

Lee was a Champion Tier corporate sponsor of the Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for controversial sex and gender ideology, including “gender transition” drugs and surgeries for minors, through legislation, litigation, advertising, and PR campaigns. The organization also hosts online chatrooms that allow adults to communicate with minors as young as 13 about sexually explicit topics. Adults in these chatrooms have encouraged minors to adopt transgender identities and withhold this information from their parents (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Kontoor hosted a T-shirt design competition and donated all proceeds from the sales to a local LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization (6). The company’s LIFE employee resource group hosted Pride month missions and a virtual Pride celebration, which likely used corporate funds (7). Lee donated to The Trevor Project (8)(9). Kontoor’s subsidiary Wrangler donated to ILGA World (10)(11). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Kontoor using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (12).

Kontoor does not operate a PAC or report on its lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).