Specialty Fabrics Review September 2019 - 68

THE GREATER GOOD

Making a mark in the community
At Presco, charitable giving, community support
and energy conservation are a passion.
BY PAUL JOHNSON

I

n 1942, Robert "Earl" McMackin
founded Precision Specialties Company,
which made specific tools for geological
and oil exploration. When working in
the oil fields, Earl and his son, Edwin,
recognized an opportunity to design and
develop better materials for roll flagging. As
a result, the company expanded its product
line and became vertically integrated into
the polymer and vinyl industries. Today,
the Sherman, Texas-based company-now
known as Presco (PREcision Specialist
COmpany)-manufactures industrial
and commercial marking products and
customized PVC films.
At Presco, charitable giving, community
support and energy conservation practices have
always been a part of the company's culture.
Joe Hardt, CEO of Presco, encourages and
promotes the benefits and values of charitable
giving. Hardt is an advocate of Whole Foods'
founder John Mackey's Conscious Capitalism.
According to the Conscious Capitalism
system, a company needs to serve all of
its stakeholders to be successful, and this
includes customers, employees, investors, the
community, suppliers and the environment.
Under Mackey's philosophy, companies
should practice four guiding principles-
higher purpose, stakeholder orientation,
conscious culture and conscious leadership.
"We've always had within the company
an environment in which we wanted to
help others," says David Chisum, Presco's
chief financial officer. "[When] one of our
employees had his house burn down, the
employees came together, raised funds and
helped rebuild the house.
Our charitable giving became more
formalized this last year to celebrate our 75th
anniversary," says Chisum. "We decided to
68 REVIEW SEPTEMBER 2019

give each month. Within our culture, we care
about others, so we want to give to others."
Presco's employees have raised money
to support a variety of charities. "We have
given to an animal shelter, homeless shelter,
two food pantries, Habitat for Humanity and
an organization that supports breast cancer
patients. We also support Meals on Wheels
by participating each quarter in delivering
meals on one of their routes once a week. As
a company, we also support a number of local
high schools, and have for a number of years,
on an ad hoc basis."
Donations make a profound difference to
people working at the charities. "When we
give money to charities, we are investing in
people's lives," Chisum says. "Through six
months, we've already given away $16,000,
and that's all employee money. It really does
make you feel good about the company and
the people working here," says Chisum.
Beyond charitable giving, Presco is
instituting measures for greater energy
conservation and sustainability. We've
improved our lighting and shading," says
Chisum, "and we look for opportunities
to reduce energy costs and impact on
the environment."
Paul Johnson is a writer based in Minnesota.

Presco employees raise money for numerous charities
including the Children's Advocacy Center of Grayson
County and Master Key Ministries. Photos: Presco.

SUPPORTED BY

Industrial
Fabrics
Foundation
www.ifai.com/industrial-fabrics-foundation/

Donate today at www.indfabfnd.com.

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 September 2019

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