The Cerrowire crew that wired a Habitat for Humanity house.
Cerrowire manufactures building wire at plants in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, and Utah. It also partners with nonprofit organizations across the U.S. in the local communities where employees live and work. Below, Phil Schmidt, Cerrowire brand manager, discusses a very recently completed volunteer project.
On Nov. 9, 2022, 11 volunteers from the Cerrowire plant in Hartselle, Alabama, arrived at a Habitat for Humanity jobsite about 10 miles away in Decatur. They brought coils of CerroMax NM-B donated by Cerrowire.
While the volunteers make miles of NM-B every day, many of them had never been part of an electrical installation team. That day they helped a good cause while learning more about the products they make. Under the supervision of a professional electrician, Cerrowire volunteers pulled and stapled wire for lights, switches, outlets and appliance connections in the new home being built by Habitat for Humanity.
They finished in three hours, leaving with the knowledge that they had helped make it a better day for someone in need. Tim Staten, production lead, explained why he had volunteered again. “I feel it’s important to pay it forward, to help people. It also says a lot about my company (Cerrowire) to not only donate the wire but to organize a team to install it. It was a good day.”
Colleague Chris Shackleford, a jacket line operator, said that he was thrilled to have been part of the Cerrowire volunteer team. “I love helping people, and we’re building rapport with people outside of our job.” It was his first time volunteering and allowed him to “get into the electrician’s world.” Habitat was a great cause, and he will reach for the sign-up sheet when the next one is done.
This is the 8th Habitat Home that Cerrowire has sent crews to wire in North Alabama in the past few years. The local Morgan County Habitat group says they plan to increase the number of homes built each year to four or five. Cerrowire will be there when the call goes out.
Manufacturers GIVING BACK
This is part 8 of Wire Journal International's first-ever feature presenting 16 manufacturers that have given back to their communities: hundreds others could just as easily have been here. Each entry has a unique story, yet the common thread is the people—of all ranks—who care about their companies as well as their communities. Big volunteer efforts deserve applause, but so do smaller ones as they all head in the same direction. In a time when there is seldom a lack of daunting news, one can take pride in the industry spirit.
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Companies Featured:
Hitachi Cable America (now Proterial Cable America), Viakable, Acme Wire Products, High-Performance Conductors (HPC), Kris-Tech, Allied Wire, Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc., Cerrowire, Belden, Fort Wayne Metals, Optimus Steel, Prysmian, Minnesota Wire, Southwire, Service Wire, Alloy Wire International
Bonus Content:
> Employer alert! Volunteers make for a better workforce.
> How can a small business start a ‘giving back’ program?
