Flowers in bloom. Bustling small businesses. Neighbors popping in on one another with fresh-baked bread and a jar of homemade jam. This is a day in the life of Greenville, South Carolina’s historic Nicholtown neighborhood.

Originally formed in the 1870s by a group of nine Black families, over the years Nicholtown has built and retained a reputation for being one of the friendliest places in Greenville. But recent development in the area has led to a reduction in reasonably priced housing, pushing many of the neighborhood’s multigenerational inhabitants farther and farther from their original homes and sparking a need for more affordable housing.

Enter Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County, which is building a new affordable-housing development in the heart of Nicholtown—with the help of donations like 29 heat-pump water heaters from contractor A.O. Smith. “Because of generous donors like A.O. Smith,” says Nöel Brooks, director of development for Habitat for Humanity Greenville County, “we will be able to ensure current and future generations of Nicholtown residents continue to have a home here.”

This donation is just the latest chapter in A.O. Smith’s storied history of corporate philanthropy, which dates back to the company’s founding in Milwaukee in 1874 and is now managed through the A.O. Smith Foundation. In a recent interview, Construction Executive spoke with Rita Schwalbach, A.O. Smith’s foundation manager, and Bill Hosken, the company’s national market business development manager, to learn how far and wide that giving has spread.

How is A.O. Smith supporting Habitat for Humanity’s efforts in Greenville?

Bill Hosken: One of our core guiding principles at A.O. Smith is to serve our communities, so we’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to support the creation and growth of affordable housing in Greenville, South Carolina, by providing reliable access to hot water. A.O. Smith heat-pump water heaters can save a family of four an average of $300 per year on their electric bills—an enormous impact for regions like the Southeast, where those bills typically run high.

Where does A.O. Smith’s commitment to community stem from?

Rita Schwalbach: The A.O. Smith Values have been the foundation of our company since our inception in 1874—one of which is to be a good citizen and to serve the public and the communities in which we do business. Formed in 1955, the A.O. Smith Foundation is committed to bettering our communities by partnering with and supporting education, arts and culture, health and human services in the communities in which we operate. The Foundation encourages A.O. Smith employees around the world to live the company’s values through volunteerism and community involvement, and over the years has provided more than $50 million in financial support to worthwhile community organizations, institutions and programs.

What philanthropic organizations have you partnered with or supported recently?

Schwalbach: Each year, the A.O. Smith Foundation supports more than 200 nonprofit organizations in the United States, including United Way, the American Red Cross and Big Brothers Big Sisters, just to name a few. In addition to our recent work in Nicholtown, the Foundation recently donated hundreds of water heaters to support disaster relief after the Waverly, Tennessee, flood [which killed 20 people and caused $100 million in damage in August 2021].

The Foundation also provides scholarships to children of A.O. Smith employees who plan to continue their education in college or vocational-technical school. In 2022, we awarded 64 scholarships totaling more than $107,125.

How do you decide which organizations to support?

Schwalbach: Organizations submit an application annually, and upon review of those applications, the Foundation board makes a determination on which organizations to support. The Foundation focuses its efforts on funding organizations that support the communities where our employees live and work. Therefore, many of the organizations are in Milwaukee, where our world headquarters are, as well as Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas and other states where our operations are located. Donations primarily fall into four categories of organizations: human services, arts and culture, education and health.

How do your employees get involved?

Hosken: Employees definitely get involved in a big way and quite frequently! A.O. Smith employees have volunteered for everything from community clean-up efforts and buying school supplies to stuff backpacks to working on houses being built by Habitat for Humanity, collecting nonperishable items for local food pantries and mentoring students.

A.O. Smith often provides time off for employees to participate in fundraising and volunteer events sponsored by the company. Each year, we give a Community Involvement Award to one employee who has gone above and beyond in their charitable efforts.

A GOOD REPORT

For a full list of organizations that have received support, read A.O. Smith’s biannual Community Impact Report at aosmith.com.