1.7.2021
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To My SBD Colleagues:

Like many of you, yesterday I watched the highly disturbing and horrifying events as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol during a critical procedural moment in our election process - the certification of the Electoral College. It's something I never, ever thought I would see in the United States.

I've watched attempts to overthrow governments from afar over the years, some in countries where we operate, and always believed that our democracy was impenetrable. Last night certainly tested that belief as we came remarkably close to breaking the institutional foundation of our democracy. I could not believe the images and pictures I was viewing were from right here in the U.S., a full assault on our Constitution.

This past year has tested all of us, from the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting personal and professional challenges and racial justice issues finally receiving the attention they have deserved, to political divisiveness, particularly here in the U.S. One thing I've certainly learned through all of this is the importance of providing clarity - clarity about what we believe, what we stand for, and our values as an organization.

  • We condemn the actions of those who were incited to storm the Capitol last night.
  • We believe in free and fair elections and that President-elect Joe Biden legally and legitimately won the election.
  • We believe that those who have chosen to illegally threaten the operation of our government should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

We will continue to use our voice to advocate for our democracy and a peaceful transition of power, as well as for actions needed to accelerate the end of COVID-19, including vaccinations, and addressing racial justice issues.

For today, I'm thankful that Congress certified President-elect Joe Biden's election by the people as the 46th President of the United States as of January 20th. Clearly this is not the clean start to 2021 many of our Stanley Black & Decker family were hoping for when we welcomed in the New Year, but I am cautiously optimistic that we will continue to persevere, together, through these challenges and move forward with confidence and clarity.

Jim Loree
President and CEO
Stanley Black & Decker

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Stanley Black & Decker Inc. published this content on 07 January 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 07 January 2021 19:15:07 UTC