Driven by our sustainability goal of giving back to the local community, employees at the company’s corporate office in Carrollton donated fire hoses to the Carroll County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA).

Kenneth Playford, corporate environmental, health and safety specialist, helped lead the effort, working with other employees to determine a proper course of action for the unused hoses.

“When I started in my new role, one of the first tasks on my action plan was to address any fire compliance issues,” said Playford. “Mark Whisenant, who manages loss prevention, mentioned that the fire marshal said the hoses were not needed during a previous walkthrough, so I passed the idea along to Jan Wilson in risk management.”

Wilson informed Playford that the removal of these hoses would not conflict with the company insurance policy, so he decided to find a local organization that would benefit from their use.

Whisenant and Playford reached out to a number of community groups, but the CCEMA replied first and with the most immediate need. Southwire has previously worked with the CCEMA and is a functioning member of the Local Emergency Planning Commission (LEPC).

“The CCEMA was created to serve Carroll County and function as a management piece of local government,” said Playford. “They create and maintain systems that reduce the area’s exposure to hazards, and they manage disaster response, relief and recovery. We couldn’t think of a more deserving organization to provide emergency response equipment to than one that is working to mitigate and work through disaster relief issues.”

Upon receiving the donation, Tim Padgett, director of the CCEMA, wrote a letter to Southwire, thanking the company for its kindness.

“Thanks so much for [your] generous donation of fire hoses to Carroll County,” reads Padgett’s letter. “The hoses will benefit the support functions of Public Works and Public Safety. We are grateful that Southwire thought of us.”

According to Playford, these actions are important to Southwire because of its relationship with other businesses and members of the local community.

“Life is all about building and maintaining relationships,” said Playford. “Business, in the same respect, operates in a similar way. By making more relationships, Southwire becomes a stronger business, and this improves the positive impact that our actions can have on the community.”

Whisenant, Playford and others remain committed to finding uses for items that would otherwise be buried in a landfill and seek to collaborate with community organizations that will help build lasting relationships.