Transcript Document 7427642

Wildlife Habitat: Why Bother?
An Introduction
 Jim Pridgen
 Plant Manager, Bridgestone Firestone
• Oklahoma City, Dayton Plant
• USW representation
• 35 years of production
• Wilson, North Carolina
• No third party representation
• 32 years of continuous production
Wildlife Habitat Council Certification
 Obtained in OKC 2002
 Wilson is currently engaged in the year-long
certification process
 Why would a major corporation such as
Bridgestone, pursue WHC certification at it’s tire
manufacturing facilities?
Wilson Plant Habitat Area
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Plant began production in March 1974
56 acres under roof
485 Acres total plant land area
ISO 14001 Certified
Freedom Wildlife Habitat and Refuge
 Application to Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) in
July 2006
 April 22 kick off celebration “Earth Day”
 Wilson’s goals
• Certification by WHC (hopefully summer of ’07)
• Community involvement to develop our
environmental site
• Create an on-site environmental area and
refuge that will be available to our community
Wilson’s status to date
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WHC visit and recommendations
Wildlife plan drafted
Picnic shelter refurbished
Blue bird nesting boxes installed by Boy Scouts
State and local environmental agencies helping
team (County Soil and Water Conservation, NC
Fisheries, Wild Turkey Federation)
 We have BIG PLANS
That’s the WHAT. Now for the WHY.
 Why would any of you in this audience consider
using your company lands to establish an
environmental site or habitat?
 What possible advantages can this sort of project
afford your facility or your company?
 Why use your capital to enhance the landscape?
 WIIFM: what’s in it for me?
• Are there any REAL benefits?
A Natural Fit with NEPT
 Habitat provides continual environmental goals
that make a real difference
• Quantifiable improvements
 Opportunity for ALL teammates to work on
environmental projects
 Capitalizes on an under-utilized resource (idle
land asset) to enable positive environmental
impact
RESPECT and VALUE
 RESPECT
• Respect for the future
 VALUE
• Value what you have
 PRIDE
• Company
• Community
• Family
 FUN
Why does Bridgestone push?
 Positive influence in the communities where we
are located
 Be the best at what we do AND an active part of
our environment
 Our CEO, Mark Emkes makes community service
and the environment a part of his yearly
management policy
 Our new President in Japan, Shoshi Arakawa is
also determined to keep Bridgestone a positive
influence around the world – taking a leading role
within our industry in responsible efforts to care
for the natural environment.
Fundamental Principles
 We, the Bridgestone group, work to
achieve ever higher levels of society’s
trust and employee pride. We will manage
environmental, health and safety issues as
integral and important parts of all our
business activities, while working towards
a sustainable society.
 To provide a safe environment for all our
children and the children of future
generations.
RESPECT for the future
 The Freedom Wildlife Habitat and Refuge will
have limited public access for schools, scouts,
Boys & Girls Club, etc.
 Our children need to see good stewardship in
practice
 Our children need to have a place where they can
observe, first hand, indigenous flora and fauna
 Our children need a sense of worth – of self, of
home, of property, of family
Providing a glimpse of a positive future,
perhaps we can save a life
WILSON
WAKE
POVERTY
22.6%
8.7
16.4
Children (0-17) living at poverty
level, US census bureau 2000
HS DROP
OUTS
19.4%
9.2
15.1
Teens who are HS drop outs,
Population Reference Bureau
TEEN
MOTHERS
19.3%
8.8
13.0
Teen pregnancy as percent of
total births, (10-19), State Center
for Health Statistics 2003
SAT
TAKERS
49.1%
76.2
78.1
Percent of HS children tested,
NC SAT Report 2004
8.4%
3.0
4.9
JUVENILE
CRIME
DURHAM MEASURE
Total number Juvenile Court
cases as % of youth (10-15)
2000
VALUE what you have
 The Wilson Plant provides a lifestyle unequalled
in eastern North Carolina
 Our team members earn almost twice the local
average
 Volunteering through the habitat provides a way
for team members to give back to the community
 Emphasizing benefits to wildlife and the public
promotes innovation
 We build upon our good relationships and strong
communications with local regulators to facilitate
the process
PRIDE of place and person
 Providing the means for a young man to become
an Eagle Scout, we build individual pride and
protect our future
 Providing a place to learn, we build opportunities
for future individual success
 Providing a place of nature and beauty, we build
respect for the land our forefathers settled
 Providing for our community, we build a sense of
pride in our company and our team
Wilson
Earth Day
All ages and all sizes.
A team leader or a poet?
PRIDE
RESPECT for the earth,
RESPECT for different
abilities.
The Wilson pond
before clean up.
Wilson opportunities
for naturalized habitat,
Wilson blue heron –
protecting wildlife so
we can observe it in its
natural habitat
Blue bird houses,
made and mounted by
the Boy Scouts
Wilson volunteers
havin’ fun
We’ve got wildlife lining up to get in …
…captured on our
security system, at our
front gate…