More than Donations, Ingersoll Rand’s Community Support Drives Change

For Ingersoll Rand, giving back doesn’t stop with donations, or with a singular volunteer activity. With its North American Headquarters just outside of Charlotte in Davidson, the industrial manufacturing company is committed to giving back to the communities where its employees live and work across the country.

 

The company’s philanthropic engagement with the United Way is year-round, drawing participation from employees at all levels and building a presence in surrounding communities.  As Vice President, Global Commercial Leader, Compression Technologies at Ingersoll Rand and a member of United Way of Central Carolinas’ Board of Directors, Scott Krull leads the company’s efforts in the Charlotte area.

 

With a passion for giving back and facilitating change, we sat down with him to discuss the importance of giving back, what inspires his work and the impact corporate support can provide local communities.

 

 

1. Why is it important for enterprises like Ingersoll Rand to give back to their local communities – specifically Charlotte?

 

Ingersoll Rand is a socially responsible company, so making a positive impact on the communities that we are a part of is a goal we share as a company and as employees. Through our own donations and volunteer efforts, we hope to foster economic mobility in our communities, which in the long run creates a workforce that helps us to maintain a positive presence in these communities.

 

On a more personal level, its Ingersoll Rand’s encouragement and support that enables our employees to give back to our neighbors and community members, which is very rewarding.

 

2. What does it mean to you to be part of a company that supports/partners with the United Way? What inspires your personal work with the United Way?

 

Having lived in other areas of the world and seeing the difficult environments that many endure in their daily life, working with the United Way has made me more aware that similar circumstances still exist in many of our communities in the United States. The work that United Way does through impact grants to agencies providing services – such as basic needs, education, health or financial stability – helps achieve results greater than any single organization.

 

In Charlotte alone, United Neighborhoods is creating sustainable neighborhoods, and Unite Charlotte is working to improve racial equality – its these efforts that are helping to transform and impact the Central Carolinas one project at a time.  To be so greatly supported by Ingersoll Rand, who has allowed me to engage and contribute my small part in these United Way efforts, has been life-changing.

 

3. What does Ingersoll Rand’s relationship with the United Way look like across the U.S., as well as locally in Charlotte?

 

We strive to build close relationships with the communities where we live and work, and across the country, many of our locations are choosing to do this through work with the United Way. Twenty-five sites regularly participate in fundraising and volunteer efforts with their local United Way chapters, and these fundraising efforts are then generously matched by the Ingersoll Rand Foundation.

 

In 2017, Ingersoll Rand and its employees donated over $3 million to United Way chapters across the U.S., and at our North American Headquarter in Davidson, we were the leading donor in the Lake Norman Area – raising $1.4 million for the United Way of Central Carolinas. These funds go a long way in impacting the communities that United Way serves, so it makes me proud that we as a company can give back and help make an impact.

 

4. Are there any unique elements to Ingersoll Rand’s relationship with the United Way? What stands out to you?

 

Beyond running a strong United Way annual campaign and identifying on-going volunteerism opportunities for our employees to engage with the community, one unique element of our relationship is the recent lean process improvement work taking place. Ingersoll Rand Operational Excellence team members have been working with United Way staff to help make improvements to the way pledges are processed. Both teams are working together to make significant changes, learning from each other to create efficiencies, which eventually benefit all those impacted by these pledges.

 

5. Are there any upcoming projects you are personally excited about?

 

Each year, we hold a “Days of Caring” week where employees engage with United Way funded agencies to complete volunteerism projects.  As part of our larger United Way campaign, it’s always a highlight.

 

This year in particular, we decided to focus on areas of opportunity that address housing and shelter – a significant community need and focus of Ingersoll Rand. We’ve established housing and shelter employee volunteer activities with at least 13 organizations, all over the course of just three weeks.  This will occur not only in the Central Carolinas, but we’ve also engaged our teams in Clarksville, Tennessee and Augusta, Georgia to give back to their communities in a similar way through coordinated events.

 

6. You lead an impressive campaign for the area, what are some of the unique elements that contribute to this success?

 

At many companies, support of United Way comes through donations.  While this is important to the mission of United Way and the funding it provides, I am so very proud that Ingersoll Rand takes our support to a very different level.

 

I’ve had the opportunity to serve as Executive Sponsor, but it is really our Campaign Chair, Shawn Laskoski, and his wonderful team that weave together our general pledge campaign with fundraising opportunities through golf tournaments, auctions, corn hole tournaments, kickball games and many other events to bring United Way to the forefront for all Ingersoll Rand employees throughout the year.

 

This team’s creativity and desire to make a difference in the Central Carolinas through United Way is infectious to all, and it’s created an environment of rich teamwork with United Way in our campaign.

 

Insights provided by Scott Krull, Vice President, Global Commercial Leader, Compression Technologies at Ingersoll Rand, and member of United Way of Central Carolinas Board.