Baker McMillen Co.
The oldest company in Summit County, Baker McMillen (established in 1874) taps into its employee base to make a commitment to more than 50 community service organizations. Over the years, the wood products company has given an average of approximately 3 percent of its income to philanthropic groups.
Baker McMillen’s greatest focus is on the annual United Way campaign, with employee participation of 82 percent in 2001, 66 percent in 2000 and 72 percent in 1999. Among the United Way activities are car washes, where factory associates can have their cars washed by upper management for a nominal donation, and donations to the United Way for the Loaned Executive Programs that helps facilitate each annual campaign.
The company’s management has also volunteered hundreds of hours over the years by calling on CEOs to rally support around the United Way and the other organizations it supports. Baker McMillen has been the recipient of the United Way Silver and Gold Awards in 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Cambridge Home Health Care
President/owner Nancy Diller-Shively infuses her philosophy of giving back to the community into her entire organization.
Staff members are encouraged to volunteer up to four hours per week on company time to the cause of their choice. And since 1999, Cambridge has donated more than $141,000 to charitable causes, including $10,000 to the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund after Sept. 11.
Over the past two years, the firm’s efforts have focused on helping to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. In 2001, it sponsored the building of the 87th Habitat home in Akron, with Diller-Shively and the management team on-site weekly from March through May. Work included digging trenches for pipe, putting up siding and drywall, texturing ceilings and painting. Cambridge volunteered 365 hours to the project.
This year, it co-sponsored the building of Habitat’s 100th Akron house. That team was on site weekly for nine weeks and volunteered more than 230 hours. And Diller-Shively was elected to the board of trustees for Habitat for Humanity of Summit County.
Targeting Customer Safety Inc.
When Targeting Customer Safety office manager Chris Swigert received a call July 25 from a manufacturer TCS represents, explaining that nine miners were trapped in Quecreek Mine near Somerset, Pa., she immediately contacted her husband, Denny, the company’s co-owner.
Denny, whose Bath-based firm sells confined space rescue communications equipment, knew he could help and called Rob Zaremski, TCS’ Pittsburgh-based territory manager. He also called the Howland Fire Department, a TCS customer near Warren that had equipment Swigert believed would be useful. He picked up a probe and met Zaremski, who drove the equipment to the Quecreek Mine.
Working with police and rescue workers, Zaremski lowered the 1.65-inch diameter two-way communication device into a hole drilled by rescue workers. The device allowed rescuers to establish contact with the miners and determine their location.
He then kept in contact with the miners while rescuers made their way to the men and brought them above ground. All nine survived.
