Napoleon
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Family-owned Canadian maker of barbecues and fireplaces.
There's no proof Napoleon pays more than the legal minimum, which in China and Mexico is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Graded higher than Napoleon, selling the same kinds of things.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in countries such as China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From press and retailer reports. Napoleon makes its products in its own factories, but we haven't recorded its countries from it yet. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Canada | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Modern slavery statement
- Owns or runs its own production
Research notes Napoleon makes its premium Prestige grills at its own plants near Barrie, Ontario (Canada), cheaper grills at two factories it owns in Guangzhou (China), and since 2025 assembles gas, charcoal and electric grills at its own plant in Ramos Arizpe (Mexico); it also buys parts and products from suppliers in China, India and Mexico. No production shares or supplier list are published. Its Canadian forced labour report for 2023 found no forced or child labour, but its supplier code asks only for legal employment standards, with no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports, which do not cover grill makers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Stoking the flames (The Globe and Mail) · search the archive · Prestige grills made in Ontario; cheaper grills at two Napoleon-owned facilities in Guangzhou; Mexico plant planned
- Napoleon expanding global operations to Mexico (BradfordToday) · search the archive · Mexico plant to make select grills and sub-assemblies then produced in China
- Canadian industry expands in Coahuila: Napoleon opens home appliance manufacturing plant (ProMexico Industry, 2025) · search the archive · Napoleon opened an assembly plant in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, assembling gas, charcoal and electric grills; 200+ jobs
- Napoleon Rogue RSE 525 (Tucker BBQ) · search the archive · Napoleon grills sold by an Australian retailer in-store and online
Published by Napoleon or its owner
- Napoleon Modern Slavery Statement 2023 · search the archive · Bill S-211 report; sourcing from China, India, Mexico; no forced or child labour found; supplier code requires legal standards
Company details
- Headquarters
- Canada
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Napoleon ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/napoleon, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Napoleon.