OSI Sealants Inc. has made a difference here in Northeast Ohio and across the nation.
The Mentor-based firm, a manufacturer of caulks, sealants and adhesives, sponsors an annual golf outing that benefits the Lake and Geauga County units of the American Cancer Society. It is also the official caulk, sealant and adhesive supplier to Habitat for Humanity, and has other, smaller commitments.
“The Fig Leaf Golf Tournament started out as a family golf outing around 1978,” says Mark Longo, executive vice president of OSI. “My dad had lost his brother and sister within six months of each other to cancer. In an effort to remember him and my aunt, we started the golf outing.”
Initially, the outing was for friends and family only, but it quickly grew to the point that the Longo family saw the potential to use it to make a difference in the community.
“With all the people coming, we decided to start charging everyone to play and put all the money toward the fight against cancer,” says Longo. “What started out as a little group outing with about 60 people has now had as many as 400 people in attendance.”
The outing averages between 250 and 300 people and is one of the largest private fund generators for the American Cancer Society in the state. This year’s outing raised nearly $70,000, and all the money raised is used for early detection and prevention programs in Lake and Geauga counties.
Nationally, OSI saw Habitat for Humanity as the perfect place to give back to the communities of the customers and clients that have made the company successful.
“Habitat for Humanity is something we’ve been doing for a number of years — since 1995 or 1996,” says Longo. “OSI gets involved in the building projects. We will send a team of employees to build and work on the houses. There is really an industrywide commitment to this.
“As a business, I think you have to give back to the community, especially when you are in the position we are in. We have a product that can help build or repair a house. We want to give back. We want to be a good partner in the community to provide what funds we can to worthwhile organizations.”
How to reach: OSI Sealants Inc., (800) 321-3578
