Habitat for Humanity, SKF, Dedicated New Home

From Habitat for Humanity:

Officials from SKF, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County and other corporate sponsors gathered on Friday, June 29, at a dedication ceremony for a newly finished project that will provide decent, affordable shelter for a family in North Hills, in Upper Dublin Township.

“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 that 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.”