WAYNE, Pa. — AD recently recognized Southwire as the 2016 AD PHCP (Plumbing, PVF & HVAC) Giving Back Award recipient. Southwire was singled out for its “12 for Life” program, which encourages at-risk students to complete high school by providing mentoring and jobs with competitive wages.
AD’s Chairman and CEO Bill Weisberg stated, “The AD Giving Back Award is presented to a member [or] supplier that makes the health and success of their local community a priority for their company. Providing an opportunity to lift others is [a] gift, and [the fact that] Southwire’s ten year commitment to this program has seen the graduation rate in their community increased by 17% is truly inspiring.”
Founded in 2007 as a partnership between Southwire and Carroll County Schools, the “12 for Life” program combines education in the classroom with mentoring and instruction in life skills that many students would not receive otherwise. To date, nearly 1,600 students have graduated from the program, which has expanded from its original location in Carrollton to now also include a Southwire facility in Florence, Alabama, as well as other programs such as the “Great Promise Partnership” through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Southwire’s VP of Sales, Charles Eddy, shared: “When this program started, 1 in 3 students in our community didn’t receive a high school diploma. And while we are proud of the fact that 44% of the students in our program moved on to higher education, 18% signed-up for military service, and 30% are working at Southwire or other local business, what is most important is the fact that our graduates received work and life skills and earned a diploma that gives them better hope for the future.”
“Southwire is a great example of a company that creates positive change to support high school education and mentoring in its local community of Georgia. The ’12 for Life’ program could easily be replicated by other organizations across the country.”
Left: Charles Eddy, AD HVAC Division Delegate and Vice President, Sales, Southwire
Right: Bill Weisberg, Chairman & CEO, AD
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