Yamaha Innovates Repacking Program to Benefit Midwest Food Bank
Jan/16/2024
Yamaha team members sort drinks and repack on pallets. The volunteer stations at the Yamaha plant allow team members to continue working during downtime while the processed and sorted drink boxes benefits Midwest Food Bank operations. Employees at the Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation in Newnan have incorporated a unique volunteer opportunity into their daily routines, and the benefits can be felt by hundreds if not thousands of people every month.
Yamaha spokesman Jason Broshear said the company identified Midwest Food Bank as a potential CSR (corporate social responsibility) opportunity, and further investigation confirmed that the organization would make an excellent partner. With that in mind, a system was set up to allow Yamaha employees to take in deliveries from the food bank and help process them on-site for further distribution.
Yamaha’s warehouse facility now receives large shipments with a wide variety of bottled or canned drinks that have been donated to Midwest Food Bank from various sources, such as local bottlers as well as individuals and groups around the region. They are placed in a strategic location at the plant for when employees have unplanned downtime.
Amid its regular daily activities, the Yamaha team works to sort those goods and put the repacked items on pallets in new boxes so Midwest Food Bank representatives can just stop by and pick them up. This makes the entire process much more productive than if the food bank’s volunteers had to do all of the sorting work at their own facility.
To make the process smooth and safe for Yamaha employees, the company provides the tools needed to get the job done. There is a process that allows these workers to spend a portion of the regular work day doing something beneficial to the community – something many of them would spend volunteer hours on the weekend doing if necessary.
“We’ve had really positive feedback from the employees I’ve talked to,” said Broshear. “It's a great opportunity to not only get paid, but to also do something that they feel like they're giving back to the community.”
Midwest Food Bank partners with more than 150 different agencies and nonprofits to provide free meals to community members in Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida – there are over three dozen partner agencies in Coweta and Fayette counties alone – with the requirement that those organizations give the food away free of charge.
After learning about the organization’s reach on a day-to-day basis and how it responds to local disasters and other such events, Broshear felt its mission resonated with what Yamaha wants to do as far as high-impact social responsibility activity. Midwest’s operation in Peachtree City, which has very few actual employees and relies heavily on volunteers, has made a particular impression on him.
“It was pretty obvious that they really treat their volunteers well,” he said. “The people that work there really enjoy what they’re doing.”
A large company like Yamaha can make quite an impact because of its in-house resources that allow large quantities of goods to be processed and transported to and from the food bank. Participating in this initiative enhances the entire community while also making Yamaha’s own employees happy and satisfied.
“Our optimal CSR activities are not just donating money – which we do – but giving our employees an opportunity to feel like they're giving back to the community is just as, if not more important,” said Broshear.
Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America designs and assembles WaveRunners, ATVs, Side by Sides, and Golf Cars at the Newnan plant. One of Coweta County’s largest private employers, Yamaha is currently expanding the team, hiring for both contract and professional team members. Full-time direct hires, such as welders and engineers enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including insurance, 401k, profit sharing, and more. Details are at yamahajobs.com.
