LANSDALE, Pa., June 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials from SKF, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County and other corporate sponsors gathered today at a dedication ceremony for a newly finished project that will provide decent, affordable shelter for a family in North Hills, a suburb just north of Philadelphia.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120629/PH33588-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120629/PH33588-b )
"It is truly heart-warming to see so clearly the positive impact that such a project can have on a community and a family," said Poul Jeppesen, President and CEO of SKF USA. "We recognize the honorable mission that Habitat for Humanity tries to fulfill and we are honored to be able to play a part in helping them achieve their goals."
SKF's backing for the project included both financial support and "sweat equity." In April of this year, Jeppesen, on behalf of SKF, presented a $30,000 check to Habitat for Humanity to support the organization's efforts. Then, beginning in early May, several dozen SKF employees began working on a volunteer basis with Habitat for Humanity staff at the project site, adding the finishing touches to the new home. The project was completed earlier this month.
The responsibility for coordinating SKF's involvement and the logistics for the SKF work crews fell to Jeff Carlisle, Director of Forecasting and Research at SKF, as well as Head of Community Initiatives for the company's Lansdale operation.
According to Carlisle, SKF's support for Habitat for Humanity is an outgrowth of SKF Care, a global commitment to promoting sustainability that incorporates financial, environmental and social dimensions. SKF Care is the common denominator for incorporating sustainability into the whole business and involves about care for the business, the environment, the employees and the communities. The objective is to integrate SKF Care into all aspects of SKF Group's activities and operations, to create long-term value in SKF.
"This has been a very rewarding experience, not only for me, but for all the SKF employees who lent their time and efforts toward completing this project," Carlisle said. "As a company, we talk a lot about how giving back to our communities is integral to our operations and way of doing business. But to be able to see how this commitment plays out at a personal level is something that I'm sure will stay with everyone who participated."
About Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County
The mission of Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County (HFHMC) is to eliminate poverty housing. In partnership with caring individuals and organizations, Habitat constructs simple, decent, affordable homes and empowers hardworking, low-income families to become homeowners by providing no-interest mortgages. Habitat families build equity, gain stability, and enhance our county's quality of life. Habitat has built more than 400,000 homes around the world, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 2 million people. Since 1989, the Montgomery County affiliate has sought to eliminate poverty housing in the local community by offering "a hand up, not a hand out" to hardworking families who otherwise would be unable to experience the dream of owning their own home. In its 22-year history, HFHMC has completed 51 homes, which have housed 184 individuals (including 124 children) in the county and were sold to qualified families based on the principles of no-interest and no-profit.
About SKF USA Inc.
SKF USA Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of SKF Group, a global technology company founded over 100 years ago in Gothenburg, Sweden. SKF is today the world's leading manufacturer of rolling bearings, with operations in 130 countries on six continents and more than 130 manufacturing sites, 25 of which are here in the United States. Over the decades, SKF has evolved from a bearing company into a knowledge engineering company with industry-leading expertise in a number of highly technical areas: Bearings and units, Seals, Mechatronics, Services, and Lubrication Systems. All the while, more than 41,000 SKF employees around the world and 6,000 in the US embrace sustainability. We are all committed to excellence in every aspect of our business, from our quality products and employees' well being to limiting the environmental impact in the communities in which we operate.
SOURCE SKF USA Inc.