
Dole Food Company, Inc. Named To "World's Most Ethical Companies" List By Ethisphere Magazine
Westlake Village, CA - May 10, 2007
Dole Food Company, Inc. was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Magazine, a national publication dedicated to illuminating the important correlation between ethics and profit. The elite list of companies were recognized for their strong leadership in ethics and compliance, advancement of industry discourse on social and ethical issues, and positive engagement in the communities in which they operate.
"We are honored to receive this designation from Ethisphere Magazine," said David Murdock, chairman and chief executive officer of Dole Food Company. "Dole takes great pride in our corporate ethics and social responsibility. We treat all employees and business associates with dignity and respect. Special attention is given to safeguarding Dole employees' health, providing competitive wages and benefits, honoring collective representation, enhancing and empowering our communities and protecting the environment in which we work and live."
Ethisphere Magazine, the magazine has a circulation of 65,000 global Board members, CEOs, General Counsel, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officers and institutional investors, offers insight to on gaining market share and creating sustainable competitive advantage through ethical business practices and corporate citizenship.
The editors of the magazine chose fewer than 100 companies from a several thousand organizations that they analyzed over a six-month period. "This was a rigorous process that identified a select group of companies that were unequalled in their industries for their commitment to ethical leadership and corporate social responsibility. These organizations go beyond making statements about doing business ethically; they translate those words into action," said Alex Brigham, executive editor of Ethisphere Magazine.
The process included reviewing companies' codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at companies' activities to improve corporate citizenship; studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers; and working with consumer action groups for feedback and rating.
About Dole Food Company, Inc.
Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2006 revenues of $6.2 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of packaged foods and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research. For more information on the company's CSR efforts go to dole.com.
About the Ethisphere CouncilThe Ethisphere Council was created in 2006 by Corpedia, a leader in risk assessment and eLearning for ethics and compliance, the Practising Law Institute, a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the professionalism of attorneys and others and LexisNexis, a leading provider of comprehensive information and business solutions; and Formed with support from such leading corporations as Deutsche Telekom, Time Warner, Dresser Industries, Avaya and Kraft, the council is dedicated to the research, creation, and sharing of best practices in ethics, compliance, and corporate governance among its membership companies. It also focuses on the development and advancement of its members through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. More information on membership can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com.