Month: June 2023

Over the past few months, Southwire recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day., Black History Month, Women’s History Month and more by hosting efforts across the company that provided team members with resources and opportunities to get more involved and learn more about these topics.

Many of these efforts were led by over 30 TEAM Champions located at facilities across the organization. These individuals are committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at their local sites and facilities and are equipped with the tools to influence and lead change.

In January, we honored Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 16, to celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader.

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, facilities across the organization honored his legacy by wearing clothing designed to represent the holiday, creating “quote walls” for team members to share their favorite and most inspirational MLK quotes, reading his book ‘Where Do We Go From Here: Community or Chaos’ for the company-wide book club, participating in local parades and doing community service activities.

“Our facility is very dedicated to celebrating many different events and holidays as we have a wide range of cultures and backgrounds that are a big part of our team,” said Albany Turner, TEAM champion in Youngsville and sales support specialist. “We look at Martin Luther King Jr. as a role model as we try to build a loving and inclusive environment for all team members.”

Throughout February, in honor of Black History Month, Southwire facilities came together to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions, achievements and experiences of African Americans throughout history. Facilities put together various activities and learning opportunities for team members to participate in.

“During Black History Month, the Waukegan Plant focused on educating our workforce on the importance of this month and celebrated by passing out goodie bags, stickers and bookmarks with famous black inventors on them,” said Allison O’Connell, People & Culture specialist. “Our focus was to educate our team members about the significance of the month by having conversations designed for them to learn something new and impactful.”

In March, Southwire celebrated Women’s History Month, which is dedicated to honoring and celebrating women’s contributions to history, culture and society around the world, by coming together to honor and recognize the important role women play in our workforce.

“To celebrate Women’s History Month, MSG and General Services displayed different women that have contributed to our country on our display board and passed out flyers,” said Barbara Armstrong, EHS specialist and TEAM Champion. “I think it is important to show that women have made a major contribution to the workforce and are continuing to break barriers every day.”

Furthermore, Southwire also hosted a Fireside Chat on the topic of women in manufacturing with Ruth Shaw, a former member of Southwire’s Board of Directors. Shaw discussed her experiences as a prominent woman in manufacturing and gave her views on what she sees for the future of this industry regarding gender diversity.

“As we look to the future, I hope that we come to have a respect for each other as human beings and a recognition that we all do better together,” said Shaw. “I believe we will continue to see more progress toward a more inclusive workplace.”

In addition to these larger efforts, Southwire facilities also celebrated Honduran Women’s Day, Lunar New Year, Wear Red Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and highlighted the winners of its Super Bowl Contest.

To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, click here. For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom.

June 6, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Five major U.S. health care systems today released an open statement affirming their commitment to responsible business practices that take the severe public health and financial risks of the climate crisis into account.

Signed by Providence, Boston Medical Center, CommonSpirit, HealthPartners, and Hackensack Meridian, the statement comes amid widespread efforts by a group of state and federal lawmakers to pass policies designed to ban private-sector actors that account for these risks. It is addressed to policymakers and emphasizes that signatories are making business decisions that address climate change because it is a risk both to public health and to their ability to provide health services.

“Bottom line: Climate change poses a material financial and public health risk to the entire health care sector. Just as we address other risks to our complex operations, we will make long-term, climate-smart investments that limit our exposure to climate risk. We will increase our deployment of renewable energy, invest in energy efficiency measures, and ensure that our buildings and facilities are resilient,” the signatories wrote. “Growing evidence indicates that these efforts yield significant and wide-ranging cost savings, reduced risk and increased stability for organizations and the communities they serve, and improved corporate performance.”

The full text of the statement is available here. It was organized by Health Care Without Harm and Ceres.

“Climate change is a serious threat to public health and the communities we serve. As a health care leader Providence is taking bold action to reduce our climate impacts by working toward becoming carbon-negative by 2030. As we advance our vision to build a healthier and more equitable world, we make strategic decisions to confront the climate crisis, and we value partnerships with government, agencies, and organizations that enhance our ability to do so,” said Ali Santore, EVP, Chief Advocacy and Social Responsibility Officer, Providence.

“In the communities we are privileged to serve, CommonSpirit Health sees firsthand the devastating effects that climate change has on public health and the economy. We view business practices that limit these effects — from adopting clean energy to building resilient facilities — as a common-sense risk management strategy with clear financial benefits. We are proud to join with our peers to reaffirm our commitment to business decisions that are good for public health, for the climate, and for the bottom line,” said Shelly L. Schlenker, MHA, EVP, Chief Advocacy Officer, CommonSpirit Health.

“Healthier hospitals mean healthier communities, which is why we are committed to operating our campus as cleanly as possible to achieve our public health mission. Our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions not only help to reduce the effects of climate change, but they also generate $10 million per year in utility savings that we have reinvested in patient care. We have no intention to change these business practices, and believe that any interference would hurt our hospital, our patients, and our community,” said Bob Biggio, SVP Facilities & Support Services, Boston Medical Center.

“Beyond our belief that addressing the environmental and social impacts of health care’s operations is part of our moral imperative, growing evidence indicates that these efforts yield significant and wide-ranging benefits. This includes substantial cost savings, reduced risk and increased stability for health care organizations and the communities they serve, as well as improved corporate performance,” said Gary Cohen, Founder and President, Health Care Without Harm.

The health care leaders are just the latest to join a growing number of public and private sector voices championing the freedom to invest responsibly, as policymakers across the country — especially at the state level — move to restrict financial institutions from considering the economic and financial risks of the climate crisis in their decision-making.

In March, more than 250 companies and investors signed a statement to policymakers demanding that they protect their freedom to invest responsibly; the list of signatories on that statement has since grown to more than 350. More than a dozen state and other public financial officers who are charged with protecting taxpayer dollars and the livelihoods of pension beneficiaries issued their own statement voicing support for responsible risk management practices. And, in May, more than 130 academics signed a statement supporting practices that protect investors from the effects of climate change, water scarcity, and other risks that materially harm investors.

About Ceres 

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

About Health Care Without Harm 

Health Care Without Harm seeks to transform health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability, and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice. For more information, visit noharm.org and follow @HCWithoutHarm.

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin, booth-tobin@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 214

The McDonald’s System plays an integral role in California’s economy through its support of jobs and businesses across the state, driving economic opportunity for its independent owner/operators, McDonald’s crew members, and suppliers. The McDonald’s System strives to lift up the communities where it operates, by feeding and fostering communities and making delicious, feel-good moments easy for everyone.  

California is home to nearly 1,300 McDonald’s restaurants, more than 230 owner/operators, and more than 70,000 restaurant crew and managers. McDonald’s restaurants are open for business in 90% of California’s counties, with more than 300 restaurants in Los Angeles County.Across California, nearly 1 in 7 owner/operators began their careers as McDonald’s crew members.

View our California Impact Report

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CLEVELAND, June 6, 2023 /3BL Media/ – KeyBank Institutional Advisors and KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided $30 million of financing to the Cleveland Foundation (TCF) for the construction of the 95,000-square-foot Midtown Collaboration Center (Center) located in Cleveland’s MidTown and historic Hough neighborhoods. The Center will be adjacent to TCF headquarters and aims to be both regionally significant and locally transformative.

KeyBank Institutional Advisors provided a $23.7 million loan to fund the new construction of the Center. Partners in this project include Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), University Hospitals (UH), the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA), Hyland Software, and the Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI), the country’s largest SBA micro lender.

KeyBank CDLI provided a $6.3 million equity investment in the New Market Tax Credits. The Center will house partners including CWRU’s new Center for Population Health Research, UH’s new Diabetes Research and Wellness Center, CIA’s new Interactive Media Lab, Hyland Software Training Center, JumpStart offices, ECDI – SBA Lending Center and Women’s Resource Center, and the Brewery/Taproom (BIPOC-owned) & community-led music venue.

The Center will bridge Cleveland’s downtown business center with its University Circle academic hub, bringing together multiple sectors and companies under one roof, to create a new model for a “both and” approach to economic activity that centers around community. The project builds upon the momentum of the adjacent Cleveland Foundation’s Headquarters project. Together, these two buildings represent the first of eight proposed structures in the planned 12-acre civic district.

“This project is part of the Cleveland Foundation’s overall mission of improving the quality of life in Cleveland neighborhoods and strengthening the fabric of our city as a whole,” said Cathy O’Malley Kearney, Head of Key Institutional Advisors. “We are proud to be a part of this important project which will provide a pathway to economic opportunity.”

“KeyBank is investing in this neighborhood with a commitment of capital for sustainable, inclusive, and equitable development,” said Ryan Olman, KeyBank CDLI. “We are pleased to partner with the Cleveland Foundation to transform and strengthen Cleveland’s neighborhoods and communities.”

“The MidTown Collaboration Center offers a new model for purpose-driven collaboration, equitable, community-centered development and partnership,” said Rosanne Potter, Cleveland Foundation Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer. “This project would not have been possible without KeyBank’s commitment to the Greater Cleveland community.”

About Key Institutional Advisors

For nearly 200 years, Key Institutional Advisors has provided advisory, investment management, growth advice, trust administration, customized credit, and banking services to non-profit, corporate, healthcare, pension, tribal, and government entities across the U.S. with a strategic focus on funding, sustainability, and governance. Key Institutional Advisors has nearly $14 billion in AUM and $62.3 billion in AUA, at March 31, 2023.

About KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment

KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) finances projects that stabilize and revitalize communities across all 50 states. As one of the top affordable housing capital providers in the country, KeyBank’s platform brings together construction, acquisition, bridge-to-re-syndication, and preservation loans, as well as lines of credit, Agency and HUD permanent mortgage executions, and equity investments for low-income housing projects, especially Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing. KeyBank has earned 10 consecutive “Outstanding” ratings on the Community Reinvestment Act exam, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, making it the first U.S. national bank among the 25 largest to do so since the Act’s passage in 1977.

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $198 billion at March 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications, and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.