On December 12, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. hosted our 10th annual Power Partners Awards Breakfast. The Power Partners award is given to companies that demonstrate commitment to Goodwill’s mission by providing substantial, ongoing work opportunities for individuals we serve. Since Power Partners began in 2005, 17 companies have received this award.
- 2014 Cree, Inc.
- 2013 Milwaukee Public Schools and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare
- 2012 Olympus Flag and the VA Hospitals
- 2011 MillerCoors
- 2010 Northwestern Mutual
- 2009 Children’s Hospital and Health System and ChemRite CoPac, Inc.
- 2008 Gehl Foods, Inc. and Ocean Spray
- 2007 US Navy and SC Johnson
- 2006 Rust-Oleum and Froedtert Hospital and Clinics
- 2005 Briggs & Stratton and Kelch
The year’s award winner is Cree, Inc, an LED manufacturer with 1,200 employees in Racine, WI. We began our work with Cree in 2014, providing recruiting, staffing, and training support for their Assembly, Material Handling, and Shipping positions. In 2014, Cree projects provided over 220,000 direct labor hours to Goodwill TalentBridge employees. In coordination with Cree’s training team, Goodwill’s Workforce Development team helped refine Assembly and Material Handling training and career path, and provided over 10,000 hours of training to more than 500 associates. Goodwill Manufacturing has supported Cree with new contract packaging and assembly projects. In addition, Goodwill’s new corporate headquarters in Greendale, set to open in 2015, will be outfitted with Cree lights to provide significant energy cost savings that puts more dollars back in our Goodwill mission. We congratulate Cree on this year’s award.
As we reflect on the true definition of a partner, it is one where trust, understanding, and collaboration toward a common goal is present, leading to long term relationships. We are proud to say all 17 Power Partners remain as customers today. In 2014, we expanded our work with many of our partners, creating greater impact for their business as well as individuals we serve. This year alone, our Power Partners account for over 2 million direct labor hours for individuals with disabilities and disadvantages. That is amazing, and we thank each and every one of our Partners.
The highlight of the morning was a special visit from Donald Driver. Donald is a true representative of Believing in the Power of Work. He spoke of his life’s journey, along with his appreciation for the support and partnership with Goodwill. He said every morning when he wakes up, he asks himself, ‘who can I impact today?’ He challenged each of us to ask that question.
If you are interested in learning more about the possibility of partnering with Goodwill and impacting individuals with disabilities or disadvantages, please contact Dan Depies at ddepies@goodwillsew.com.
