Interface Associates Make Mark on Florida Communit
Marco Island & Naples, FL, March 10--Interface Flooring Systems associates took on community improvement projects here, with associates in town from the U.S., Canada and Latin America for the company's annual sales meeting. The projects were designed to leave something positive behind in the local community.
Participants included Interface founder and Chairman, Ray Anderson, as well as associates from sales, marketing and company management.
"Some companies show up in a town for a conference, check into a hotel, go to meetings and check out, without ever really experiencing the community, " said John Wells, president and CEO of Interface Americas. "Our goal was to engage our associates with the local community and leave our mark in a noticeable way, not just be another group of tourists. The day turned out to be a powerful experience for our associates; it was a tangible way to bring our mission of environmental and social sustainability to life in a way that left a positive mark on everyone involved, including the local community."
The projects were focused on environmental preservation as well as physical improvements for a number of community organizations including:
• A trash clean-up and brush pruning project at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples, one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America.
• Tree planting and other improvements at the Marco Island YMCA
• Refurbishing a path at the Conservancy of Naples wildlife rehabilitation clinic.
• Assisting at a Naples homeless shelter, working in the kitchen, installing carpet and painting.
• Providing hands-on assistance for the Art League of Marco Island.
• Painting a mural to be donated to a local hospital.
Interface is recognized globally for its commitment to sustainable business practices and its mission to become an environmentally restorative company. Interface associates researched various local organizations to identify these projects; in some cases one organization recommended another that needed hands-on volunteers, enabling the company's network to expand.
