AVON, Ohio — Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is reporting that its team members exceeded the company’s 2023 goal of 9,000 employee volunteer hours, awarding more than $1 million in grants and donations.
Bendix team members volunteered close to 9,500 service hours to company-sponsored volunteer events or through personal endeavors, an increase of close to 10% from 2022, according to a news release.
“Our community support efforts are firmly rooted in our culture,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix senior director of environmental, social, and governance, noting that employee participation numbers are once again up 10% from the previous year. “Employees across the organization dedicated more volunteer hours to more projects in more ways. It shows that our community support efforts are not one-off events but are part of who we are as an organization.”
In 2023, Bendix employees gave approximately $492,000 in grants, donations, employee fundraisers and Dollars for Doers incentives from the company and its employees to multiple diverse nonprofit organizations and community initiatives in the areas where Bendix operates in North America.
The Dollars for Doers incentives reward employees who volunteer with nonprofit organizations of their choosing.
“Bendix’s philosophy of corporate responsibility centers on social cohesion, underserved youth and families in its communities,” the news release states. “This support prioritizes projects linked to four focus areas: education, the environment, health and wellness and social issues. It takes the form of financial support through grants, fundraisers, donations and volunteer efforts from employees across the company’s North American locations.”
In addition to its local outreach efforts, Bendix provided ground-level support for the corporate mission of Knorr-Bremse Global Care North America Inc. (KBGCNA), its parent company’s philanthropic organization in North America. KBGCNA disbursed $559,090 in grant funding for projects and initiatives. This funding and other targeted Bendix programs and initiatives resulted in community support funding totaling approximately $1,051,000.
“The people of Bendix went above and beyond in 2023, volunteering in person and virtually,” Gutierrez said. “We donated funds and so much more at a corporate level and individually. We built homes, made blankets, and gave blood during blood drives. We gave toiletries, toys, food, school supplies, and clothing. Local Care teams gained new members, and they shared a wealth of ideas. All in all, it was an inspiring year for Bendix’s support to our communities.”
According to the news release, through employee engagement, Bendix employees were divided into local care teams and charged with ensuring each location in North America hosts one or more corporate-sponsored volunteer events, sponsors additional events in the community, and connects employees with volunteer opportunities.
The teams identified community-specific initiatives large and small, selecting a wide cross-section of projects that fit with the company’s community support goals.
Local Care teams awarded around $200,000 in donations and grants to a variety of organizations and initiatives in the communities near Bendix facilities in Acuña, Mexico; Avon, Ohio; Bowling Green, Kentucky; Hanover, Pennsylvania, the home of Bendix subsidiary R.H. Sheppard Co., Inc.; and Huntington, Indiana.
Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Erica N. Guy decided to stay in her hometown to begin her professional career in journalism. Since obtaining her bachelor’s degree from UAPB, Erica has professionally written for several publications about several topics ranging from lifestyle, tech, culture, and entertainment, just to name a few. Continuing her love for her hometown, she joined our team in June 2023, where she is currently a staff writer. Her career goals include continuing storytelling through her writing by being the best professional writer she can be. In her spare time, Erica enjoys trying new foods, cozying up with a good book, spending time with family and friends, and establishing herself as a future businesswoman.
