sd053014
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM SD
Specialized Disclosure Report
BLYTH, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware | | 1-13026 | | 36-2984916 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | | (Commission File Number) | | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
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One East Weaver Street | | | | 06831 |
Greenwich, Connecticut | | | | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | | | | (Zip Code) |
Michael S. Novins, Esq.
Vice President and General Counsel
(203) 661-1926
(Name and telephone number, including area code, of the person to contact in connection with this report)
Check the appropriate box to indicate the rule pursuant to which this form is being filed, and provide the period to which the information in this form applies:
x Rule 13p-1 under the Securities Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13p-1) for the reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2013.
Section 1 - Conflict Minerals Disclosure
Section 13(p) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 13p-1 thereunder (collectively, the “conflict mineral rules”) require Blyth, Inc. (the “Company”) to make certain disclosures concerning supply sources for conflict minerals - principally consisting of gold, tin, tungsten, or tantalum (“3TG”) - that may be necessary to the manufacture or functionality of our products. Terms and phrases used but not defined in this disclosure have the meanings given under the conflict mineral rules.
Item 1.01 Conflict Minerals Disclosure
The Company assessed each of its three business units (PartyLite, Silver Star Brands and ViSalus) separately to determine whether it was necessary to conduct a Reasonable Country of Origin Investigation (“RCOI”) with respect to 3TG. A more detailed description of the Company’s business units is contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013.
PartyLite
PartyLite manufactures its own candles at its Batavia, Illinois and Cumbria, United Kingdom manufacturing facilities. The only metal parts in any of the candles consist of wick holders at the bottom of its tealight and votive holder candles. These metal parts are made of steel or aluminum and to PartyLite’s knowledge do not contain any 3TG.
PartyLite also contracts with third party manufacturers to make candle holders, electric candle lights, scent warmers, diffusers and other decorative items. Most products are bought “off the shelf” and PartyLite’s involvement in contracting for the product consisted only of (a) specifying or negotiating contractual terms with a manufacturer that do not directly relate to the manufacturing of the product or (b) affixing its brand, marks, logo, or label to a generic product manufactured by a third party. These products were, therefore, not subject to the RCOI with respect to 3TG.
PartyLite identified 115 custom made stock keeping units, or SKUs, in its inventory of approximately 350 non-candle SKUs, which were not bought “off the shelf” and included metal parts. These 115 custom made SKUs were purchased from 23 vendors. As PartyLite could be considered to have “contracted to manufacture” these products, it conducted a RCOI with respect to these products. Each vendor was sent a letter and a Supplier Conflict Minerals Declaration form adapted from the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition’s Global Sustainability Initiative. All vendors responded. Only four vendors indicated the presence of metals including any 3TG (mostly tin). All four vendors indicated that the 3TG metals in the products did not originate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or the adjoining countries.
Silver Star Brands
Silver Star Brands’ products are decorative and functional household products, personalized cards, gifts, unique food products and health and wellness products. Silver Star Brands contracts for the manufacture of all of its products. Most products are bought “off the shelf” and Silver Star Brands’ involvement in contracting for the product consisted only of (a) specifying or negotiating contractual terms with a manufacturer that do not directly relate to the manufacturing of the product or (b) affixing its brand, marks, logo, or label to a generic product manufactured by a third party. These products were, therefore, not subject to the RCOI with respect to 3TG.
Silver Star Brands identified 641 SKUs (of its inventory of approximately 15,000 SKUs) purchased from 77 vendors for which Silver Star Brands had exclusive rights to the design. As Silver Star Brands could be considered to have “contracted to manufacture” these products, it conducted a RCOI with respect to these products. Each vendor was sent a letter and a Supplier Conflict Minerals Declaration form adapted from the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition’s Global Sustainability Initiative. All vendors responded. Fourteen vendors indicated the presence of metals including any 3TG (mostly tin). All fourteen vendors indicated that the 3TG metals in the products did not originate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or the adjoining countries.
ViSalus
ViSalus’s products are weight management products, nutritional supplements, functional foods and energy drink mixes, which are blended by third party vendors pursuant to ViSalus’s specifications, from ingredients supplied by third party vendors. All of the products specify the ingredients and none of the products specifies any of the 3TG.
ViSalus also contracts with a third party vendor to provide various branded promotional products bearing ViSalus brands, logos and slogans for sale to promoters. ViSalus’s only involvement in contracting for the manufacture of these products is requesting the manufacturer to affix its brand, marks, logo, or label to a generic product manufactured by the manufacturers. ViSalus is not deemed to “contract to manufacture” the products and the products are not covered by the reporting requirement.
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Based on the evaluation of the Company’s products and its RCOI, the Company has no reason to believe that any of the necessary 3TG in its products in 2013 originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country.
Internet Availability of Conflict Minerals Disclosure specialized report
A copy of this Conflict Minerals Disclosure is available on the Company’s corporate Internet site, at http://blyth.investorroom.com/index.php?s=64&item=114.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the duly authorized undersigned.
BLYTH, INC.
By: /s/ Robert H. Barghaus
Name: Robert H. Barghaus
Title: Chief Financial Officer
Date: May 30, 2014