Lindsay Stories

Lindsay Volunteers Build Houses and Hope

05 Feb. 2020

Lindsay Volunteers Build Houses and Hope

Building homes, building relationships and building for the future – that’s what we did through our recent partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

“Our employees are passionate about giving back to their communities, so we’re proud to support a great organization like Habitat for Humanity,” said Tim Hassinger, Lindsay’s President and CEO. “Through this partnership, our team members had an opportunity to connect with their colleagues and forge new relationships while working to build safe, affordable housing for the less fortunate.”

Several of our Omaha-area employees recently put on hard hats and picked up hammers to help with Habitat projects in the area. Employees also volunteered at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which sells donated building materials and home fixtures at a discount. The store also helps divert usable materials from the landfill and raises funds for the organization.

In addition, 10 Lindsay Corporation employees (from locations in Nebraska, California, Kansas and Brazil) took part in a Global Village build trip last July – joining 25 of their colleagues from Lindsay’s South Africa facility for a building project in Cape Town. Overall, the project will provide homes for 104 families in need.

“It was great working with the team,” said Edu Aggenbach, Director of Global Operations, based at Lindsay’s South Africa plant. “I enjoyed the fact that we were all equal on the building site. There were no bosses or secretaries or clerks. We were all just volunteers – ordinary people – doing our best.”

When they weren’t mixing mortar or stacking cinder blocks, our multi-national group of volunteers was experiencing the local culture – including a primitive village near the job site.

“I learned a lot about the challenges in different worlds. I talked with one woman who had been waiting for more than seven years for a house. I think one of the most amazing things was those people weren’t sad – just the opposite. If you would just greet them and visit with them, they were happy,” said Aaron Sauser, Distribution Center Manager based at Lindsay’s Nebraska plant. “We also really enjoyed playing with the kids. We played soccer and Frisbee and blew bubbles. It was fantastic. Those children loved it, and we had so much fun.”

Brad Dunbar, Aftermarket Manager from Omaha, was grateful for the Global Village build trip experience – and for the co-worker’s generosity that made it possible for him and others to participate.

“This was truly a team effort. The support, through encouragement, generosity at fundraising events, helping out with details for the trip and assisting while we were gone was greatly appreciated,” he said. “This project truly encompassed our ‘One Lindsay’ culture - collaborating, learning from each other and seeing things from a different perspective. It also aligns with our core values. Our people, like the products we produce, contribute to the betterment of humanity and the environment.”