Local companies honored for giving
CEO James Cashman, center, and other ANSYS employees work on a Habitat for Humanity home.
Russell and Heidi Crupe of NSA Security Forces
Nanette and Paul Battista of SunnySide Supply
The Washington County Community Foundation will recognize the recipients of the 2015 Charles C. Keller Excellence Award for Corporate Philanthropy at its annual Philanthropy Banquet Nov. 19 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe. The companies are ANSYS (large employer category), NSA Security Forces (medium employer category), and SunnySide Supply (small employer category).
The award was created in 2011 to recognize local for-profit businesses for exemplary giving and community service.
Through its sophisticated simulation software, ANSYS enables its customers to analyze the performance of various products prior to production, helping to reduce costs and to achieve optimal results. But no such simulation or analysis was performed by ANSYS itself as it embarked on its corporate philanthropy program. In fact, the company did not set out to create a corporate philanthropy program.
“It happened organically,” said James Cashman, ANSYS chief executive officer. Decisions regarding charitable giving and activities are not driven from the top down, he said. Rather, a committee of employees representing a cross-section of the company, decide collectively what to support, and all ANSYS employees are able to suggest charitable projects to the committee. Those projects that appeal most to this Southpointe-based corporation are those that enable an ANSYS gift to leverage other philanthropy, and that provide volunteer opportunities for ANSYS employees.
One such leveraging effort was the $10,000 gift to the Washington City Mission, made shortly after the mission’s building in Washington was damaged in a June fire. Another leveraging effort was the ANSYS Tickets for Charity program that enabled local charities to receive 100 percent of their ticket sales for the MYLAN Classic, which was held in Washington County from 2010 to 2013. Over this span, ANSYS donated tens of thousands of dollars to the bonus pool, which enabled local charities to raise $1,800,000 for their causes.
To encourage young people to become involved with simulation technology, the company provides a student version of its software, ANSYS Student, free of charge. It also participates in many STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educational programs and competitions,
Cashman eagerly shared many stories of how ANSYS employees are making a difference around the globe through volunteer efforts. But no story gave him greater joy than that of the house that ANSYS sponsored for a Washington County Habitat for Humanity family.
Working alongside its future owner, a single mother of three children, Cashman and other ANSYS employees made the house a reality. ANSYS employees also organized a house-warming party with food and gifts. A photo of the home owner and her children is prominently displayed in Cashman’s office.
NSA Security Forces is a full-service private security firm with over 30 years in combined law enforcement experience. The company employs over 100 fully-trained security officers and offers a wide range of services for industrial/commercial sites, special events, traffic control, and schools.
Founder and President Russell Crupe, who spent 20 years as a corrections officer and 30 years as a state constable, attests the creation of the business was all about being in the “right place at the right time,” and that feeling of good fortune is what has helped to inspire the company’s commitment to charitable giving and service. “I felt that God put me into business, so I needed to give back,” he attests.
Many of the organizations NSA likes to support are those that are responsible for safeguarding our region’s history and heritage. The David Bradford House and the Whiskey Rebellion Festival, Washington County Antique & Bottle Club, the National Duncan Glass Society, West Virginia Museum of American Glass, Carnegie Museums, and the Heinz History Center are just a few that have benefitted from the company’s generosity.
Leading by example, Russ is also passionate about sharing his time with his favorite charitable causes. He is the President and a 40-year member of the Washington County Antique Bottle & Glass Club, Board Director of the National Duncan Glass Society, President of the Local Chapter (Chapter 1) of the National Duncan Glass Society, Founder and President of the Wheeling Area Glass Society, as well as Museum President of the West Virginia Museum of American Glass. And just one week after the Foundation’s Philanthropy Banquet, he will be found at the Jefferson Avenue United Methodist Church, running its pre-Thanksgiving Day Dinner.
Russ and his wife, Heidi, established the Sgt. Russell L. Crupe Jr. Fund at the WCCF in memory of their son to support the Avella Area Public Library and Citizens Library.
While their products may be known for being rough, tough, and durable out in the field, SunnySide Supply has a definite soft spot – helping people in need.
This supply company that predominately serves the oil and gas industry has been a distributor of general and industrial safety supplies for more than 30 years. And during that time, owners Paul and Nanette Battista have been committed to a “hands-on approach to service and giving.”
”Our community involvement is almost second nature,” Paul remarked.
For instance, in celebration of the company’s 25th anniversary, Paul and Nanette decided to do something special – host a Carhartt fashion show fundraiser for the local chapter of Autism Speaks. The charity was chosen as a way to show their support for a customer who had an autistic child.
Another of their favorite charitable activities was inspired by a different child – their own. When the couple’s daughter was a high school junior, she expressed an interest in attending Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week, a summer camp that teaches students from all across the Commonwealth real-world business skills. Upon her return, she insisted that her dad consider serving as a “company advisor.” Although the role required an intense 80-hour commitment during the week, Paul was hooked and spent one week for the next five years volunteering for the program.
Today, the company annually sponsors two PFEW scholarships for Fort Cherry High School students.
Paul has also dedicated his time and talents to serving as board chairman of the Mt. Pleasant Township Municipal Authority. In her free time, Nanette is on the Loan Review Committee of the Washington County Council on Economic Development. So, when the chair of the Hickory Apple Festival needed someone to be responsible for the event’s “bank,” the Battistas were quickly identified as the family for the job.
When parts of our country have been devastated by hurricanes and tropical storms, SunnySide has stepped into action – helping to get vital supplies from point A to point B as well as making financial contributions.
For more information, please visit www.wccf.net.