Editor's View: Doing Good in Bad Times
by Kimberly J. Schwartz
March 1, 2010
When
I started writing this editor’s note, I was solely focused on the economic
forecast for the construction industry. I don’t have to tell you that it still
isn’t very bright—you already know based on the struggle many of you are facing
to keep projects in the pipeline.
But as I was reviewing reports and forecasts on the economy, I kept getting
distracted by news of another sort. Lately, my inbox has been filling up with
news about the construction industry’s humanitarian
efforts.
You might think that an industry experiencing hardship wouldn’t have the
capacity to help others. But what I keep hearing is that members of our
industry are looking beyond their own problems and reaching out to
others.
Most notable, of course, are the efforts to aid Haiti after the nation was
devastated by the January earthquake. Equipment manufacturers, including
Caterpillar, Hyundai and Case New Holland, have worked with their local dealers
in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to provide equipment for recovery
efforts.
Other companies have provided equipment and made monetary contributions to
relief organizations that are working in Haiti. Thompson Pump, for example,
provided pumps to the U.S.
government. Kubota donated generators and first-aid supplies to Operation USA.
Komatsu America
donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross, and the John Deere Foundation
donated $250,000 to the International Red Cross. In addition, John Deere,
Komatsu, Volvo and Trimble all launched programs to match employee donations to
Haiti
relief funds.
Yet Haiti isn’t the only beneficiary of construction industry aid. I’ve also
heard about a Caterpillar dealer that raised almost 600,000 pounds of food for
regional food banks in the Western United States and Case New Holland dealers
who raised $50,000 for Habitat for Humanity.
It’s generally true that if you think you’ve got it bad, you can look around
and find somebody who’s got it worse. More remarkable are those who—even in bad
times—seek to aid and provide for others who are worse off. It’s nice to be
reminded of this lesson in selflessness by the industry.
Kimberly J. Schwartz
schwartzk@bnpmedia.com
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