2021 Annual Impact Report
Table of Contents Letter From Our CEO ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 1 Our Promise ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 2 Company History �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 4 Facts and Figures ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 6 Team Grants ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 9 Impact Investments ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 10 Basic Needs Recipients ����������������������������������������������������pg. 12 Education Recipients ���������������������������������������������������������pg. 14 Illness/Disability Recipients �������������������������������������������pg. 16
Gas South District ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 18 Strengthening Youth in Our Communities �������������������������������������������pg. 20 Our Culture ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 22 Difference Maker Award ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������pg. 24
Letter From Our CEO Early in my career, I was attracted to the natural gas industry for two reasons. For one, I knew natural gas was a clean-burning fuel that presented lot of opportunities to make a difference for the planet. And two, I was eager to show that an energy marketer could set itself apart through the customer experience and its company culture. When I joined Gas South in 2006 – the same year the company was founded – I knew our drive to make a difference would be the key to our growth and success. I’m proud to say our relationship with our customers, employees, and the communities we serve has made us the Southeast’s leading retail natural gas provider. In 2015, we articulated Gas South’s purpose: “Be A Fuel For Good.” For us, this means caring for our customers and employees and elevating our industry and communities. We also live by the Gas South Way of putting people first, doing what’s right and striving to win. We stay true to our purpose and way by providing straightforward rate plans, delivering an exceptional customer experience and being an industry leader in everything we do. We support and encourage diversity, inclusion and professional growth with each of our more than 400 employees, and we care about making the world a better place— now and in the future. Each year, we give back 5% of profits to support children in need, and we’ve committed to investing $50 million to solar projects by the end of 2023. In late 2020 we acquired Infinite Energy, which has served to increase the size of our company and therefore the good we can do in the community. As Gas South continues to grow, we look forward to the many opportunities we’ll have to continue making a difference.
Sincerely,
Kevin Greiner, President and CEO
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Our Promise To give back 5% of our profits to help children in need.
Gas South believes our communities are the strongest when all children are well and have opportunities to reach their full potential. This involves helping families build strong foundations, supporting their basic needs, and providing positive pathways for kids by focusing on:
• Programs that serve children and young adults • Partnerships with organizations to supply food, clothing, and shelter to families • Creating sustainable success through education and career pathways • Giving hope to kids who suffer from chronic or terminal illnesses As our company continues to grow, so does our commitment to give. In 2020, we acquired Florida-based energy provider Infinite Energy, which had similar goals in supporting children and families. The acquisition increased our customer base, and it widened our opportunity to invest in our communities. As the largest retail natural gas company in the Southeast, we’re now even more committed to live out our purpose to “Be A Fuel For Good.”
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Company History Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Gas South was formed in 2006, serving mostly residential customers in the state. Through a culture of innovation, collaboration and a commitment to the communities it serves, Gas South has steadily grown to become one of the Southeast’s top-rated providers.
2012
Timeline: 2006 - Present
2014
2011 2009 Moved customer service center in-house
2008 2006
Expanded into large commercial and industrial markets Rapid growth due to direct marketing
Secured Atlanta Braves sponsorship Gas South founded
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Expanded into Florida
2017
2018
2021
2020
2016 2015
Committed to investing $50 million to solar projects by the end of 2023
Gave over $1 million in COVID relief
First year winning AJC’s “Top Places to Work” award
Committed to 5% of profits to support children in need
Established Impact Investments
Acquired Infinite Energy
Established our Purpose to “Be A Fuel For Good”
Another Year of Making a Difference We’re thrilled to have been able to give more than $1.5 million dollars in 2021 to help support the communities we serve. And we’re excited to build on that ongoing support in the next year ahead.
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Facts and Figures Fueling good with our financial commitment 2021 Contributions by State
Georgia Basic Needs
$552,813 Education
$471,919 Illness/Disability
Florida Basic Needs
$45,768 Education
$103,969 Illness/Disability
$2,040 6 Gas South Annual Impact Report
$293,944 Other (in-kind donations and volunteering)
$39,299
2021 Total Contributions:
$1,509,752
391 hours logged
Creating a great place to work through employee engagement Gas South provides employees 8 hours of paid time off for volunteerism annually.
Volunteer highlights include:
78 Employees took part in our volunteer efforts
• Literacy Week support for over 24,000 students in 41 schools • STEM education via Science Olympiads for over 7,000 students • Education for over 100 students at the YMCA Gas South STEAM lab • Diapers for one month for over 90 babies • Food kits for over 600 homeless children • Music therapy programming for 6 months for youth experiencing homelessness
21 Volunteer events coordinated
• Feminine hygiene kits for over 1,000 girls in need • 100 car seats for families with children in early learning programs
48% of Employees personally donated Gas South Annual Impact Report 7
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Team Grants In 2021, we officially rolled out a new process of giving back to the community that also helps empower our employees. Team Grants are volunteer projects planned by employees, individually or as teams, that are funded by Gas South. Employees decide how they want to make a difference and “Be A Fuel For Good” in the community, all while gaining invaluable skills that help them grow professionally.
This has been my first experience, both with team grants and with Junior Achievement. I found it to be very rewarding and honestly straightforward to apply and sign up. It was fantastic. Interacting with the kids was fun and inspiring. It was great to see their energy and how this type of learning will directly impact their lives. Loved working on this with my team as well. I feel like it brought us closer together honestly, seeing each other more fully as people and not just as coworkers. Would love to do it again. –Ryan Higginbotham
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Impact Investments Amount given total = $300,000
| Six Awardees = $50k each
In our efforts to “Be A Fuel For Good” and to make a significant and distinct difference for several non-profits, we awarded Impact Investments of $50,000 each to six organizations. Non-profit organizations were invited to apply for the funding, and a team of Gas South employees helped narrow down the entries. Finalists then showcased their efforts in a virtual conference, and then six non-profits were chosen out of those finalists—read more about them on the next few pages.
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Basic Needs Recipients Helping Mamas The Gas South funds that went to Helping Mamas enabled the organization to purchase and distribute diapers and period products in the communities it serves. These basic-needs items are extra requests that come in each year. “This funding has allowed us to say yes to all those requests. We’ve said yes to serving families that are displaced and living in hotels. We’ve said yes to families arriving as refugees, and we’ve said yes to children being treated in the hospital. Gas South’s support allows us to supply families with more than just diapers. We supply them with hope!”
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Families First Families First used its Gas South funds to cover costs of a prevention-based program designed to guide families toward stability. “From March 2021 to October 2021, the Families First Navigator Model has served more than 90 households and impacted the lives of 379 individuals. Many of the individuals impacted were children and youth under 18 (61%), while 39% were adults over 18. The program has served more female clients (66%) than male clients (34%) and has also predominately served communities of color (97%).”
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Education Recipients 100 Black Men 100 Black Men received Gas South funds that helped support The 100 Scholars Robotics Alliance. The program is a groundbreaking afterschool and summer program that provides students with hands-on opportunities to plan, build, test and modify their own robots and to compete on a FIRST team, based on their age or experience. “The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped any progress for our 100 Scholars Robotics Alliance. 10 FIRST Lego League Teams, 2 FIRST Tech Challenge Teams and our FIRST Robotics team continue to thrive, winning multiple awards amid a pandemic while competing nationally and internationally.”
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Boys & Girls Club NE Florida The Gas South funds awarded to Boys & Girls Club NE Florida is helping them fund a new educational space at their facility. “With the generous donation, we’re excited and eager to get things underway. With the input of our members, we’re currently in our design phase for layout for all the new furniture and technology that this donation made possible at our location. The vendors we’re working with are helping provide the most cost-effective, engaging and collaborative spaces possible for our students to help fuel their creativity, academic success and innovation. Great futures are happening because of Gas South.”
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Illness/Disability Recipients Ser Familia The Gas South funds that Ser Familia received have helped the organization continue to give mental health counseling at no cost to its clients. “We’ve seen a spike of 112% in cases of domestic violence and an increase of 231% in referrals for child sexual abuse since the pandemic began. With the help of Gas South, we’re now able to offer specialized child’s play therapy to Latino children, including the support of Chrissie, our therapy dog. Using these resources, our children who’ve suffered trauma can express themselves when they don’t know what words to use and start their healing process. We’re blessed to have a friend and partner like Gas South.”
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Ronald McDonald House ATL The Ronald McDonald House ATL received Gas South funds that are helping support a kitchen in one of its houses near Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta - Egleston Hospital. “Kitchen expenses can include things like cleaning supplies, cooking and baking tools, utilities and maintenance. While most of our families’ meals are donated, occasionally we need to supplement meals when there are gaps. Because COVID-19 rates in Georgia have dropped since the summer, our kitchen is open once more for families to use. It’s the heart of our house and the place where most of the community activity happens.”
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Gas South District Gas South acquired the naming rights for Gas South District (formerly Infinite Energy Center) in December 2020. Located in Duluth, Ga., this premier entertainment destination that includes Gas South Arena, Gas South Convention Center and Gas South theater is just one more way we’re able to support and engage the community. In October, we invited Corners Outreach to have some of their youth come see the gymnastics Gold Over America Tour with Simone Biles in the Gas South suite. Corners Outreach equips underserved students of color and their families to lead fuller lives, and we were excited to present some of their students with an opportunity they might not have had otherwise. Students arrived in a limo, received merch and got the chance to see Olympic stars Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey, to name a few.
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Strengthening Youth in Our Communities In 2021, we helped fund two STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) labs in Georgia. The first, with an investment of $70,000, was at Atlanta’s City of Refuge, an organization that helps families and individuals transition out of crisis. The second, with an initial investment of more than $65,000 and a commitment of another $100,000 over the next three years, was at Atlanta’s At-Promise Youth & Community Center. This STEAM lab is a collaboration between the Atlanta Police Foundation and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, which we were thrilled to help facilitate. In addition to the STEAM labs, we also contributed $57,500 to help renovate two Junior Achievement Discovery spaces in Atlanta and Gwinnett County. Junior Achievement helps empower young minds through economic understanding—a key educational aspect that contributes to success later in life.
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Our Culture At Gas South, we believe people should come first, and that starts with our employees. We’re proud to be a welcoming, diverse and tolerant workplace where employees can be their authentic selves and respect and value each other fully. We also believe employees deserve the support and opportunity to learn valuable skills, increase their networking opportunities and discover a sense of purpose through serving. At Gas South, every day is a chance to make a difference in our communities and people’s lives. A Top Workplace Underscoring our commitment to employees, we’ve been recognized as one of the “Top Workplaces in Atlanta” five times by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2016. Other Accolades • 2021 Atlanta Public Schools Cluster Partner of the Year • 2021 Energy & Marketing Conference Leadership & Integrity Finalist • 2020 Corporate Volunteer Council Social Justice Award • 2020 YMCA Corporate Partner of the Year
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The Difference Maker Award Each year, Gas South recognizes one employee who is living out our purpose to “Be A Fuel For Good” every day inside and outside the office. Gas South employees nominate their favorite candidates for this award, and then our senior leadership team chooses the employee they feel best demonstrates one or more of the following attributes: • Trust: Caring for Employees • Amazing: Caring for Customers • Community: Elevating our Community • Innovation: Elevating the Industry
Rony Sanon Senior Operations Coordinator
In 2021, Gas South’s Rony Sanon was selected as the Difference Make Award winner, as he exemplifies what it means to “Be A Fuel For Good.” Beyond going above and beyond in his role as Senior Operations Coordinator, Rony has made time since 2008 each week to help coach children with Soccer in the Streets, an organization dedicated to bringing young, bright, culturally competent role models to youngsters for guidance in life and on opportunities that may be available to them. We’re honored to recognize the hard work and caring Rony puts forth at Gas South and in his community.
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“He has always been responsive, attentive and knowledgeable when approached by co-workers. Rony tends to give his all whenever possible, he always helps with smile, and has never made you feel that you are a burden when approached. I feel truly blessed working with him and just getting to know the true essence of Rony. A truly remarkable, kind and generous human being! Thank you, for letting us share in friendship and knowledge.” –Gas South Colleague Gas South Annual Impact Report 25
We’re making a difference. Follow on social media to see how we’re engaging with our community to “Be A Fuel For Good”: facebook.com/GasSouth twitter.com/GasSouth instagram.com/gas_south linkedin.com/company/gas-south