Jan. 29, 2016
January 29, 2016
For more information:
Scott Bird
Moxley Carmichael
865-544-0088
[email protected]
Gerdau Knoxville human resources representatives, from left, Damien Rose and Gwen Reichel present a $1,500 donation to Special Opps Executive Director Kent Davis and Vice President Mike Ward, who also works for Gerdau. Ward’s son, Sean, far right, works in the Special Growers program, which is operated by the nonprofit organization Special Opps. The program employs special needs young people to oversee a garden and greenhouse that supplies herbs and produce to area restaurants. The donation will pay for half the cost of the propane needed to heat the greenhouse this winter.
Steel recycler Gerdau’s Knoxville mill recently contributed $1,500 to nonprofit organization Special Opps Inc. in support of its Special Growers program, established to provide vocational training and employment opportunities for special needs young people.
“Gerdau first donated money to help Special Opps launch its Special Growers program eight years ago and later provided volunteer labor to help build their greenhouses,” said Gerdau Vice President and General Manager Johnny Miller. “Supporting the program is an annual tradition that we are pleased to continue.”
Based in Maryville, Special Growers maintains gardens and greenhouses that provide herbs to area restaurants, including Foothills Milling Company, RT Lodge and Blackberry Farm. The employees help with planting, watering, harvesting and preparing crops for sale. In the process, they earn a small income, learn important life skills and boost their self-esteem.
“We appreciate Gerdau’s continued support for Special Growers,” said Special Opps Vice President Mike Ward. “Their annual donation helps us purchase fuel to run our greenhouses and keep them at the desired temperature for plant growth during the cold winter months.”
This donation supports Gerdau’s robust social responsibility program that focuses on providing community support in the locations where it operates.
About Gerdau
Gerdau is the leading producer of long steel in the Americas and one of the largest suppliers of special long steel in the world. It has over 45,000 employees and industrial operations in 14 countries with operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, which together represent an installed capacity of over 25 million metric tons of steel per year. It is the largest recycler in Latin America and around the world it transforms millions of metric tons of scrap into steel every year. Gerdau is listed on the stock exchanges of São Paulo, New York, and Madrid and has around 140,000 shareholders.
For more information, visit http://www.gerdau.com/northamerica.
The Special Growers program provides fresh herbs and produce to local, upscale restaurants, including Foothills Milling Company, RT Lodge and Blackberry Farm.
