Huntsville Community Partnerships: Building Bridges
September 05, 2019
As a part of their Community Engagement Program, Shawcor’s Canusa-CPS operation in Huntsville, Ontario is focused on fostering business and community partnerships. Having been a part of the Huntsville community since 1967, the operation has participated in numerous community activities over the years.
The program focuses on four key categories: Participating in the Community, Contributing to the Community, Developing the Community, and Sustaining the Community.
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Participating in the Community Community participation is about “building bridges”. It involves getting out of the office to take part in community events. This creates opportunities for employees to form meaningful relationships with members of their local community. The end goal is to boost the company’s impact, visibility and reputation. The Huntsville team participates in the annual local Hike for Hospice. The hike builds awareness and raise funds to ensure individuals facing end of life situations receive free and accessible support. All funds raised go to the local hospice. Furthermore, this past December, the team entered a float in the Huntsville Santa Claus Parade, the town’s annual holiday parade. |
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Contributing to the Community Contributing to the community is about making direct contributions to community organizations in the form of cash grants, donations, or in-kind services. The purpose of these contributions is to invest in the local community. The Huntsville team hosts weekly charity barbecues during summers. During these events, volunteers from the community work side-by-side with Canusa-CPS employees to prepare and sell food. All proceeds from the barbecues are donated to local charities. These barbecues have become so popular that even the Mayor of Huntsville visited the operation to join the festivities. The team also contributes to the community by sponsoring many initiatives at Huntsville High School. For example, the team hands out the “Canusa Award for College Chemistry” each year. This award recognizes the graduating student with the highest academic achievement in college level chemistry. The recipient receives a cash prize donated by Canusa-CPS. Furthermore, the Huntsville team also organized a 50/50 raffle in support of the school’s robotics team. |
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Developing the Community Developing the community is about growing the local economy in a sustainable manner. One of the simplest paths to developing the community is joining a local chamber of commerce or trade association. The primary goal of these organizations is to help local businesses network and grow. The Huntsville operation has been an active member of the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce for years. This provides an ideal platform for the team to engage with other local businesses to learn about key issues, new ideas, and best practices affecting the community. Furthermore, chamber of commerce publications (e.g., newsletters, guidebooks, website, etc.) highlight Canusa-CPS and increase its visibility within the Huntsville community. |
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Sustaining the Community Sustaining the community is about implementing socially responsible business and environmental practices. These are practices that support social causes to improve community well-being. For example, the Huntsville location has launched several initiatives to help protect the local environment. These initiatives have been spearheaded by the Huntsville Green Team, an employee-led committee that aims to reduce the plant’s environmental footprint. The team has rolled out a strong recycling program with the goal of diverting significant amounts of plastic from landfill. To learn more about Huntsville’s green initiatives, click here. |
These community integration efforts allow the Huntsville Team to both enhance its relationships with members of the community and contribute to the overall well-being of the community. Community integration can also contribute to key business goals, including improved reputation and the attraction and retention of employees.
As Dean Bennett, Plant Manager, commented, “Community engagement is about integrating with our local community, displaying our commitment to the welfare of our community and providing a path for our employees to contribute to these initiatives”.
From left to right: The Huntsville team at the annual Hike for Hospice; The Huntsville team showcasing its float in the Huntsville Santa Claus Parade; The Huntsville team with the Mayor of Huntsville at one of the plant's weekly charity barbecues.