by Sonnhalter | Aug 1, 2017 | Events/Trade Shows, Tradesmen Insights
By Rachel Kerstetter, PR Architect, Sonnhalter
Today is August 1st, at Sonnhalter it’s basically a holiday because it’s the start of our annual tool drive to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity does fantastic work building and rehabbing homes for those who need them in an effort to eliminate homelessness and substandard housing. I’m amazed year after year at the work this fantastic organization does and the support that we receive for this tool drive from our clients, vendors, partners, community and even strangers!
Our Tool Drive was born in 2010 (more…)
by Sonnhalter | Jul 12, 2017 | News, Press Release
Help eliminate substandard housing during the month of August by donating extra inventory, demo models, tools and building materials that are no longer needed.
CLEVELAND – July 2017 – Sonnhalter, a communications firm marketing to the professional tradesman in the construction, industrial and MRO markets, is partnering with Habitat for Humanity again for the eighth annual Sonnhalter Tool Drive, during the entire month of August.
Organizations, businesses and manufacturers are encouraged to donate new and gently used tools, as well as cabinets, sinks, building materials and appliances, to the Sonnhalter Tool Drive between Tuesday, August 1 and Thursday, August 31, to benefit Habitat for Humanity’s cause of eliminating substandard housing.
Affiliates of Habitat for Humanity individually work with participants to sponsor fundraising activities such as tool drives. The Sonnhalter Tool Drive strives to engage businesses and organizations to look through warehouses for extra inventory and overstocked tools or items, as well as the community to look through their workbenches, storage lockers, basements and garages for duplicated or no-longer-needed tools and items to donate.
“At last year’s Tool Drive, we were very excited by the community’s response in donating more than $20,000 worth of tools, building materials, appliances and other items, bringing the total to $196,000 donated since our efforts began in 2010,” said Matt Sonnhalter, vision architect at Sonnhalter. “This year, with the help of our generous community, we’re looking forward to increasing that total, and we encourage businesses to clean out their extra inventory, overstocked materials and demo models, and donate to this very worthy cause.”
Sonnhalter partners with the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity for its annual Tool Drive. The Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity has completed more than 200 homes since 1988 and today, engages 2,000 volunteers, who provide more than 71,000 hours of service per year to Cleveland’s most distressed neighborhoods. The donated items will be used for Habitat for Humanity projects or will be sold at one of the organization’s ReStore, a recycled building materials store. Proceeds from ReStore sales are used to help Habitat build and rehabilitate homes for those in need.
Tools and materials can be shipped to Attn: Tool Drive, Sonnhalter, 1320 Sumner Ave., Suite 200, Cleveland, Ohio 44115. For information on how you can participate in the Sonnhalter Tool Drive, please contact Rachel Kerstetter from Sonnhalter at 216.242.0420 x130 or rkerstetter@sonnhalter.com. To make a monetary donation, please make checks payable to “Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity” and mail to Sonnhalter, 1320 Sumner Ave., Suite 200, Cleveland, Ohio 44115.
For more information on the Tool Drive, visit: www.Sonnhalter.com/tooldrive.
About Sonnhalter
Established in 1976, Sonnhalter is the leading B2T marketing communications firm to companies that target professional tradesmen in construction, industrial and MRO markets. Sonnhalter is located in the historic Brownell Building in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Sonnhalter’s brand identity highlights its expertise in marketing to the professional tradesmen. Its tagline, “Not Afraid To Get Our Hands Dirty,” promotes the employees’ willingness to roll up their sleeves and dig deep into clients’ businesses, also, it refers to the market it targets: the tradesmen who work with – and dirty – their hands every day. Sonnhalter developed the acronym “B2T,” which stands for “business-to-tradesmen” to capture the essence of its specialty. For more information, visit the company website at Sonnhalter.com.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 800,000 homes worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 6.8 million people. For more information, visit Habitat.org.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 9, 2015 | Events/Trade Shows, Traditional Marketing
By John Sonnhalter, Rainmaker Journeyman at Sonnhalter
Being socially responsible goes beyond individuals. Companies, no matter what size, should support communities where they draw its workforce from.
Plans should be well thought out and be in line with your company, customers and employee’s goals. Although most people think of financial donations as the primary way of showing support, there are many ways to get the entire staff involved like volunteering at a food bank or shelter or building a house for Habitat for Humanity.
A company’s greatest asset are its people. Studies have shown that employees perform better when there are locally supported programs. They are proud to be associated with a company that gives back.
Here are 5 results of developing a community program:
- Creates better morale among employees
- Helps create a more efficient business process
- Builds a strong public image of your company (and is a good recruitment tool)
- Better employee loyalty
- Attracts new customers
The key to success in my opinion is to get the employees involved with suggestions on where the money would be better spent. Let’s face it, they probably have a better handle on where the greater needs are.
Here are a few examples:
We have a small manufacturing client that has a clear-cut plan for where a portion of the funds will go, but they’ve added a twist. Each employee has control of $1,500 of the company’s money that they have 100% control over where it goes. Talk about engagement!
Since we focus on reaching the professional tradesmen, we have supported the local Habitat for Humanity with an annual tool drive to raise money for them. We are fortunate that many of our clients choose to participate by giving tools and other accessories that can either be used on a project or sold in their ReStore where the money is used for future builds.
These are just a few examples. I’d love to hear how/what your company is doing to support the local communities.
by tradesmeninsights | Aug 19, 2015 | Events/Trade Shows
Right now we’re in the middle of our annual Tool Drive supporting the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity. Since our efforts started in 2010, we’ve found amazing support from our clients, partners, friends and community members.
We talked with Kevin Kelly with the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity’s new ReStore location to find out more about him, Habitat for Humanity and their Restores.
Here’s the conversation:
Q. What is your position at Habitat for Humanity?
A. Store Manager at our new Eastside location (4601 Northfield Rd, North Randall).
Q. What is the Habitat for Humanity Restore?
A. Habitat for Humanity Restores are non-profit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell new and gently used appliances, furniture, building materials and house ware items. We sell to the public at a lower cost than retail.
Q. How long have you been with Habitat for Humanity?
A. More than three years. I first started as a volunteer for Habitat.
Q. What are your responsibilities at the Eastside Restore?
A. I manage all aspects of the store including personnel, donations, pricing and sales.
Q. Most memorable moment working for Habitat for Humanity?
A. The most memorable moment was a home dedication. Actually seeing a family get their home for the first time that I helped build. Also working with the many volunteers and companies.
Q. What’s the most unusual donation you’ve receives?
A. The most unusual donation was an X-ray of someone’s broken leg.
Q. Most common donations?
A. The most common donations are household items, appliances, furniture, knickknacks and building materials.
Q. What’s on the Restore donation wish list?
A. Anything and everything.
Q. What’s best about working for Habitat for Humanity?
A. Being able to affect the community in a positive manner.
Q. The Sonnhalter tagline is “Not Afraid to Get Our Hands Dirty.” What is your favorite way to get your hands dirty at Habitat for Humanity?
A. We recently opened the new store and I helped put the store together. This was very rewarding and dirty.
Q. What’s your favorite way to get your hands dirty outside of work?
A. I like working on homes. My son recently purchased a foreclosed home and we fixed many aspects of the home. It was a lot of fun working with him on the project and purchasing many of the items from the Habitat ReStore.
Q. Anything else to add?
A. We are grateful to Sonnhalter for the annual collection and donation of tools. We truly understand the work involved and appreciate their time and generosity toward the Habitat mission.
If you’re interested in participating in the Sonnhalter Tool Drive, visit sonnhalter.com/tooldrive or contact us to find out more.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 11, 2014 | Events/Trade Shows
Thanks to all that supported Sonnhalter’s 5th Annual Tool Drive to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
We recently completed our fifth annual Sonnhalter Tool Drive to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Thanks to everyone’s generous support, we received more than $35,000 in tools and building supplies. Since Sonnhalter began its efforts in 2010, it has collected more than $141,000 in donations.
We thought we’d share some highlights.
Organizing the donations that arrived at our offices to fit in the Habitat for Humanity truck on collection day.
Trade industry participants included Contractor Magazine, Council Tool Company, Gerber Plumbing, KNIPEX Tools LP, Lakeside Supply, Osborn, RIDGID, Samsel Supply, Sutton Industrial Hardware, WD40 Company, Welch Packaging, Wolff Bros. Supply, Woodhill Supply and Work Area Protection Corporation.
Work Area Protection’s donation of traffic cones.
Gerber’s donations of plumbing fixtures.
Loading the RIDGID donation during the round-up.
Community participants included the Berea Recreation Center, Café Ah-Roma, Cuyahoga County Public Library-Berea Branch, Edward Jones Investments, Perk-CUP! Café, St. Mary’s Church of Berea, St. Mary’s of the Falls, Sylvester’s Auto and Light Truck Service, Tony K’s Bar & Grille and many community members.
Pick up from one of our community drop-off locations at Perk-Cup Café.
Round-up stop at community drop-off location Berea Branch, Cuyahoga County Library.
It was a huge success and we are very thankful for the generosity of everyone that helped!
Sonnhalter employees are not afraid to get their hands dirty during the tool round-up.
Click here to read more about the Sonnhalter Fifth Annual Tool Drive.
