GRAND RAPIDS, MI--July 29, 2013: Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton has received the Corporate Community Leader Governor's Service Award in Michigan in recognition for the support the company's Truck operations in Galesburg provides to the community.
“At Eaton, we care deeply about the communities in which we live and work, and our employees are committed to making a difference through volunteerism and donations.”
The Galesburg campus, which serves as Eaton's Vehicle Group headquarters, works with more than 100 charitable agencies in southwest Michigan. Eaton and its employees provided nearly $600,000 in funding to these programs in 2012. In addition, Galesburg employees volunteer more than 10,000 hours of their time annually.
"It's an honor to be recognized for the Governor's Award for community involvement and leadership," said Tim Sinden, president of Eaton's North America Truck operations. "At Eaton, we care deeply about the communities in which we live and work, and our employees are committed to making a difference through volunteerism and donations."
The Governor's Service Awards are an annual event coordinated by the Michigan Community Service Commission, the state's lead agency on volunteerism. This year's honorees were selected from more than 140 nominations submitted by friends, relatives and colleagues to pay tribute to individuals, organizations and businesses who exemplify the spirit of volunteer service.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder presented the awards at a ceremony in Grand Rapids on July 23. "We recently launched the Do Something, Michigan! initiative that encouraged Michiganders to volunteer and take action in their communities," Snyder said. "The 40 finalists we celebrated at the 2013 Governor's Service Awards are an extraordinary example of that Do Something! spirit. I thank them and all the state's volunteers for their contribution to our state."
Last year, Eaton's Galesburg team's United Way campaign reached an all-time record of $339,000. In addition, the facility's Community Support Committee directed "Powering Community Grants" of $259,000 to many great agencies throughout Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties.
Eaton employees helped to create the "Bigs in Business" program in 2004, which has connected more than 70 Kalamazoo area youth with mentors at the Galesburg facility. Eaton employees also were founding sponsors of the Kalamazoo Literacy Council's Scrabble Fest, Comstock Community Center's Ready, Set, Grow fundraiser, and the United Way of Southwest Michigan First's United for Change initiative.
Building on Eaton's tradition of corporate citizenship, the company's "Powering Communities Grants" help improve the quality of life in communities where Eaton employees live, work and volunteer. Some of the 43 agencies that received grants from Eaton in 2012 include Habitat for Humanity, Housing Resources, March of Dimes, Kalamazoo County Ready 4s, Irving S. Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Greater Kalamazoo Girls on the Run, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Susan G. Komen and Junior Achievement.
Eaton is a diversified power management company providing energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. A global technology leader, Eaton acquired Cooper Industries plc in 2012. The 2012 revenue of the combined companies was $21.8 billion on a pro forma basis. Eaton has approximately 103,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.