It’s the week before Thanksgiving and a small army of volunteers wearing matching yellow t-shirts has assembled in the community room. The room is buzzing with energy as the volunteers from Hensel Phelps begin to package the ingredients for more than 3,300 Thanksgiving meals. During the course of three days, the employees will coordinate with their community and trade partners to distribute these meals at six locations in Southern California, ensuring that families in need have food on the table to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families.
The Turkey Giveaway is just one example of Hensel Phelps’ 80-year dedication to corporate and social responsibility. The company has grown from humble origins in Greeley, Colorado, to become one of the largest employee-owned general contracting firms in the United States—and its thousands of employees understand that it takes more to build a community than bricks and mortar.
Hensel Phelps aims to become part of the communities it serves, working together with friends and neighbors to enrich the lives of those around them, and make improvements that will remain long after a project is complete.
Across the United States, employees participate in food and back-to-school drives, wrapping donated presents for children during the holidays, building homes for those in need with Habitat for Humanity and Marian Homes, and supporting the nation’s veterans through the Wounded Warrior Project.
“There is no better way to show gratification and support for local communities than to pitch in and give back,” says Rick Tucker, executive vice president for Hensel Phelps. “Our employees look forward to volunteering at events every year. We hope we can bring a little extra joy to our community with these efforts.”
Hensel Phelps’ community involvement is driven at the employee level. Each of the firm’s nine district offices identifies areas of need in their communities and determines how they can best offer support. During the course of the year, Hensel Phelps employees contribute more than 100,000 volunteer hours.
In addition to these community service efforts, Hensel Phelps supports various mentorship programs to grow the next generation of builders. To support workforce development and diversity of the workforce, Hensel Phelps partners with local nonprofits and state agencies, and has conducted pre- apprenticeship programs targeting unemployed workers in underserved communities. In recognition of these efforts, the company is a multiple year recipient of Associated Builders and Contractors’ Diversity Excellence Award.
