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Manufacturers GIVING BACK
Wrap-ups: • IWCS • CASMI SpringWorld • wire Southeast Asia
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Manufacturers GIVING BACK This first-ever feature presents 16 manufacturers that have given back to their communities: hundreds others could just as easily have been here. Each entry has a unique story, yet the common thread is the people—of all ranks—who care about their companies as well as their communities. Big volunteer efforts deserve applause, but so do smaller ones as they all head in the same direction. In a time when there is seldom a lack of daunting news, one can take pride in the industry spirit.
Hitachi Cable: a posted photo led to unexpected charity twist Hitachi Cable America (HCA) will soon become Proterial Cable America, but under any name the business is supportive of giving back. Below, Marketing Director Rayne DuPaul shares how one charitable effort sparked a domino cascade of positive actions. Food insecurity is a growing problem in the U.S., and families have been under even more pressure over the past two years with the global pandemic, and now food inflation. This summer we wanted to give back to our community by supporting the local food bank. Hitachi Cable America, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was able to donate 1,335 pounds of food and delivered approximately 1,113 meals. Dozens of HCA employees handled the logistics. We happened to place the food donations as well as essential household goods in Teknor Apex Gaylord boxes. Through the power of social media, someone from Teknor saw our post on LinkedIn, and generously donated two boxes of compound back to us. We were surprised by the unexpected single act of kindness. We did some research and saw that Teknor Apex hosts an annual toy drive for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We talked among ourselves and decided
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This photo of Hitachi Cable America staffers led to subsequent acts of goodwill. that we should pay this generosity forward, right back to Teknor Apex. We have started collecting unwrapped toys for children in need this holiday season at Hitachi. In the beginning of December, we plan to send a full Gaylord box of unwrapped toys (or more!) in partnership with Teknor Apex towards the Make-A-Wish Foundation this year. Charity may begin at home, but it also can be found in the goodwill of companies.
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Viakable: seeing (and aiding) the forest is part of the philosophy A leading producer and seller of electrical conductors, Mexico’s Viakable, a Xignux company, employs more than 4,000 people in Mexico and the U.S. Below, Maritza Almanza, communications and social responsibility manager, outlines one focus from the company’s range of charitable and social responsibility efforts. During October, more than 120 Viakable employees and their families joined forces with local authorities and Mar y Sierra Salvaje—an organization dedicated to conservation of ecosystems and their species—to plant 188 trees in the Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and Durango. The first of the reforestations took place on Oct. 22 in a local park located in the municipality of San Nicolas de los Garza in the state of Nuevo Leon. There, Viakable’s volunteers planted 38 trees native to the region, and 100 Texas sages in a park close to the company headquarters in the city. On Oct. 29th, Viakable’s employees also planted 50 red oaks in a park located near the Multipak facility in the state of Durango. Multipak is a Viakable company that produces wood reels and packaging solutions. More than 4,000 Viakable employees actively take part each year in multiple social responsibility activities, which are based on Xignux’s Social Responsible and Sustainable Development Model. These generate high impact in three areas: economic, social, and environmental, transforming its stakeholder’s quality of life and improving society. In 2021, Viakable volunteers dedicated 6,532 hours to social responsible activities, benefiting more than 7,340
Photo of some of the Viakable volunteers that gathered in October to plant trees in Durango. people, including students, senior citizens, people with disabilities, people in vulnerable conditions of living, and neighbors of the local communities where it has operations. This year, Viakable was granted the Socially Responsible Company Certificate, which is given by the Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía, A.C. (CEMEFI), and recognizes companies that integrate Corporate Social Responsibility guidelines as part of its culture. With these permanent actions, Viakable reaffirms its commitment to the environmental care and development of the communities where it has operations with strategically focused initiatives for the construction of a sustainable future.
Employer alert! Volunteers make for a better workforce Deloitte has done multiple surveys on volunteering, and it has consistently found that creating a culture of volunteerism makes for a happier, more engaged workforce. That, they note, translates to better morale and a workplace atmosphere that has more of a team spirit. The Deloitte reports (“Volunteerism Survey”) indicate that most people want to work for a company that supports volunteering by staff. It reports that 89% of working Americans believe that companies that sponsor such activities offer a better overall working environment. “In fact, 70% of respondents say that volunteer activities are more likely to boost employee morale than company-sponsored happy hours, and 77% say, ‘volunteering is essential to employee well-being.’” Of the respondents, just 38% said that their employers provide access to company-sponsored or coordinated volunteer programs. Also, 69% said they are not volunteering as much as they would like to, and of those respondents, 62% said they cannot volunteer during the
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workday. “It appears that many employees understand the value of volunteering and have the desire to do more, but they aren’t reaping the full benefits,” said Doug Marshall, Deloitte’s managing director of corporate citizenship. There are some caveats to volunteering. One survey of working Americans who had volunteered in the prior 12 months said that they want to be part of a program that is compelling. They want to see results that confirm their help mattered. Most employees would like to be able to suggest a different cause, not just always the charity that the company president prefers. There are multiple benefits to employers who support volunteering efforts. Such programs create deeper connections and friendships among coworkers, which in turn can lead to smoother teamwork and better collaboration back at the office. Also, the volunteering experience helps foster a person’s leadership skills. Today’s dedicated volunteer could grow into a key company contributor and leader. See p. 53.
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