Specialty Fabrics Review June 2019 - 64

THE GREATER GOOD

Setting a high standard
Owens Corning's philanthropic efforts, charity work and
progressive employee policies have produced impressive results.
BY PAUL JOHNSON

F

or more than 40 years, Owens
Corning, a developer and producer
of insulation, roofing and fiberglass
composites, has been a supporter of a wide
range of philanthropic endeavors and a key
partner assisting charitable organizations across
the globe. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, the
company has a long list of accomplishments.
Don Rettig, director of community
affairs and president of the Owens Corning
Foundation, has been instrumental in
implementing many of the programs. "Owens
Corning engages in community outreach
through the Owens Corning Foundation,
which has been in operation since the
1970s," he says. "The foundation supports
the company's stakeholder communities in
the U.S. and around the globe, including
Habitat for Humanity, The Gary Sinise
Foundation, United Way Worldwide, United
Way Mumbai and the Mexican Red Cross."
Owens Corning and its employees invest
time, products and financial resources,
so these charities can thrive within its
community network. "We track metrics
related to the number of homes built or
renovated for people in need, the number of
children provided clean water and sanitation
and other similar measures," says Rettig.
Habitat for Humanity provides affordable
housing for families in need. In many cases,
the homes are a springboard for families
to become integrated members of their
communities. Rettig explains, "In 2018, we
built or renovated 47 homes for people in need
in our communities. We also partnered with
Habitat in India to provide 50 toilet facilities
in villages near our plants, a significant impact
related to basic health."
Snack Pak 4 Kids provides nutritious food
for school-age kids of lesser means. According
64 REVIEW JUNE 2019

to Rettig, "Working with Snack Pack 4 Kids,
The Pack Shack, World Vision and others,
our people packed or served 190,000 meals
for people in need."
Owens Corning has amassed a long list of
achievements over the past year. Retting says,
"2018 was a tremendous year of giving and
volunteerism that brought positive impact to
people in need in our communities around
the world. Each year our volunteerism grows
as our teams seek new opportunities to make
an impact."
Owens Corning also fosters an inclusive
work environment for employees. The
company garnered a perfect score on the 2019
Corporate Equality Index for best places to
work for LGBTQ equality. Ava Harter, Owens
Corning senior vice president, general counsel
and secretary, states, "This is the 15th time
Owens Corning has received top marks on the
Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates
LGBTQ-related policies and practices. We
view inclusion and diversity as key elements
of the high-performance-people pillar of our
sustainable enterprise framework."
Owens Corning's diverse range of charity,
philanthropic and community work has not
gone unnoticed. For the fourth consecutive
year, the company placed third on Corporate
Responsibility Magazine's 100 Best Corporate
Citizens. In addition, Owens Corning
made the list of the 19th annual 100 Best
Corporate Citizens because of its astute
policies on environmental stewardship and
social and governance performance. Also,
the Ethisphere Institute recognized Owens
Corning as one of the World's Most Ethical
Companies for the second year in a row.
Paul Johnson is a writer based in Minnesota.

LEFT: Owens Corning has a long history of supporting
Habitat for Humanity through volunteer hours and financial
donations. One program is the Roof Deployment Project,
and under this program Platinum Preferred Contractors
have installed many new roofs on the homes of veterans.
RIGHT: The crew at Owens Corning helps pack meals for
Snack Pak 4 Kids. Employees helped pack 190,000 meals
for a variety of charities. Photos: Owens Corning.

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Fabrics
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The Greater Good focuses on IFAI
member companies that do good
business-and also strive to be
good neighbors, good citizens
and good partners. From hiring
the disadvantaged to creating a
recycling network to paying
employees for community service
during the off-season, we want
to recognize the organizations
that share their success.
If you'd like to see your company
highlighted here, please email
associate editor Sammi Jones,
smjones@ifai.com.
http://www.ifai.com/industrial-fabrics-foundation/ http://www.indfabfnd.com
Specialty Fabrics Review June 2019

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