Members Give Back:
Composites Companies Supporting Their Communities
When like-minded people meet, amazing things can happen...Within the ranks of ACMA are big-hearted members who actively give back to their communities. Profiled here are just some of the many charitable endeavors undertaken by manufacturers, suppliers and distributors whom we are proud to call ACMA members.
Is your company involved in the community?
Is your company involved in the community? Email us photos and a description of your charitable efforts and we will post it here, so we can inspire others to follow your lead!
John Tickle, Immediate Past President of ACMA and President of Strongwell Corp., recently provided a generous donation toward the construction of the John Tickle Engineering Building at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The five-story, 110-square-foot building is named for Tickle, who is a UT alumnus, and it will house two key departments in the university’s College of Engineering.
“This facility will play a vital role in our efforts to bring students into the engineering fields, and will greatly enhance the opportunities available to faculty and students as they work to shape the future of our state and our nation,” said UT Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “We are all especially grateful to both John and Ann Tickle for their support for our university and its mission, and we’re proud that the building will bear John’s name.”
“Education is the key for taking this state and our nation forward. In academics, like athletics, to get the best we have to have the best facilities,” Tickle said during the groundbreaking ceremony in December, 2009.
A unique feature of the building is the pedestrian bridge that will connect the Tickle Engineering Building to the heart of the campus. Easing pedestrian access for students, faculty and staff to the Hill, the bridge is a signature element that also will provide a visual link from the facility to the existing engineering buildings on the Hill.
ACMA member Creative Pultrusions, Alum Bank, Pa., donated a fiberglass reinforced polymer (FRP) utility pole for a fiber optic project at a local school. Non-conductive and creosote-free, composite poles offer a safer, “greener” option to traditional poles made from wood that are treated with creosote and can leach chemicals into the watershed. School children can touch and play around the composites pole without electrical or chemical risks. The poles weigh a third of the weight of a typical wood pole and are installed in the same manner.
Joe Kimmel, Superintendent of the Chestnut Ridge School District (CRSD), recipient of the donated FRP pole, said: “The CRSD is trying to be as eco-friendly as possible to our environment. We are making changes where possible and the pole project donation by Creative Pultrusions is just another example of that. It is safe for our students, a ‘green’ initiative, and it further expands the relationships with school and community business' - It is a win - win situation with all parties involved. We thank Creative Pultrusions for their donation and commitment to our school and the safety of our students."
For more information, please contact Dustin Troutman at 814-839-4186.
In 2002, when ACMA held its annual convention and trade show in Orlando, 18 members took a tour of the Give Kids the World Village (GKTW). GKTW is a 70-acre, non-profit resort near Disney World that, through the support of generous individuals, corporations and wish-granting organizations, provides accommodations, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a week-long, cost-free fantasy vacation for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
When ACMA members learned that the resort needed new products to upgrade its facilities, many companies stepped forward to donate bath products. Since then, ACMA members made additional donations as needed. When ACMA recently learned that the resort was building additional residences, it once again has stepped up to the plate to donate.
Who's Donating?
In February, 2008, ACMA President John Tickle, Strongwell Corp., Bristol, Va., and Gary Multanen, former president of ACMA and CEO of Best Bath Systems, Boise, Idaho, toured the resort and met with GKTW’s Frank Eller, the project manager for the new construction. With just a few emails and phone calls, Gary was able to secure ACMA member company commitments for much-needed bath products for the first phase of GKTW’s expansion project. His company, Best Bath Systems (a division of Fiberglass Systems, Inc.) is donating roll-in showers and the accessories. Clarion Bathware, Shippenville, Pa., has offered to donate 14 tub showers, Lasco Bathware, Ahaheim, Calif., has committed to donating jetted tubs, and Composites One, Arlington Heights, Ill., has offered fiberglass material and foam for the project.
Want to get involved?
ACMA members interested in getting involved with GKTW should contact Project Manager Frank Eller at GKTW at 407-973-5204 or at franke@gktw.org.
Did you know that nearly 50 percent of the families participating in the Make a Wish Foundation, end up spending a week at GKTW? Through the generous contributions and support from companies and individuals, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 85,000 families from all 50 states and over 60 countries. For more information, visit www.gktw.org.
(from left to right) ACMA President John Tickle, Gary Multanen, Best Bath Systems, and GKTW’s Frank Eller at the GKTW Village, celebrating a recent commitment of tubs and showers from ACMA member companies to GKTW for additional housing currently under construction.
