United Site Services’ (USS) commitment to service and outreach begins with the simple recognition that its employees live in the same communities in which they work. They care deeply about their cities and neighborhoods, and that is reflected through the pride they take in their work and their enthusiasm to give back. USS’s reach may be national, but its roots are local.
As a leading provider of temporary fences, portable toilets and other site services, USS has more than 100 locations coast to coast. The company takes a grassroots approach to serving the community by actively seeking philanthropic opportunities in each location through its #USSGivesBack campaign. Managers ask for input from associates across all levels of the company, and a team of top executives reviews each initiative and provides enthusiastic participation.
“Getting involved unites our team from coast to coast. It’s great to participate and even better to make a difference in our hometowns,” says Andrew Misura, a USS digital marketing analyst based in Massachusetts.
In addition to encouraging associates to engage with local charities, the company looks for organizations that are working on the frontlines. USS has donated more than 12,000 pounds of food to Feeding America, engaged its employees in Toys for Tots drives and supported more than 30 youth organizations across the country. Just last year, USS’s cash and in-kind donations topped $40,000.
Last October, the company launched an employee-driven fundraiser challenging associates to send a short video clip of a fun and family-friendly turkey impersonation in return for a donation to Hire Heroes USA. For every employee who participated, a donation was made to the veteran services organization.
Driven by strong employee engagement, USS made a final donation of $10,000.
“Employee engagement is always a focus for USS; we like to challenge our employees to think of others,” says USS CEO Ron Carapezzi. “We are honored to give to an organization that helps our service men and women in such a powerful way.
“We are also humbled by the response of our employees. They really made this something fun and memorable.”
Community commitments are part of USS’s annual planning process. In addition to supporting youth organizations, this year the company will be volunteering at various local charity events, hosting food drives and continuing to work with Hire Heroes to find suitable employment opportunities for veterans transitioning to civilian life.
“Our core values are what set us apart from our competition. We see great value in giving back to our communities,” says USS COO Jim Cashman. “Our people are doing small and large things to support their communities, whether it be sponsoring a Little League team or helping the California Highway Patrol put out fires last year. As an industry leader, we hope our people inspire other companies to give back too.”
