Businesses Giving Back: Keihin in the Community

Both of my parents are from Tarboro, a small town in eastern North Carolina, and, even though I didn't grow up there, it will always be a special place to me. Tarboro is the county seat of Edgecombe County, which happens to be one of the most economically distressed counties in the state.

That said, I was particularly excited last fall when we brought on a client that is based in Tarboro--and one that is making such a big impact in the community. We are helping them develop a formal sustainability program, but we're especially pleased to highlight just how much they are already doing to give back in so many meaningful ways.

The Client

An electronics manufacturer, Keihin Carolina Systems Technology...but we'll just call them Keihin (see the end of this post for more in-depth details on what they do).

In an effort to create regional job growth opportunities, Keihin actively supports investing in the local educational system and enhancing schools’ technical capabilities. They also created a fine arts grant program that gives teachers funding for projects that round out the student experience (which would not otherwise be possible in the current economic environment).

Go find 'em on Facebook, give 'em a "Like," and check out all their recent community contributions.



Their Dedicated Community Involvement
Keihin started a school partnership program that matches funds and volunteer hours with a local school. They are currently partnering with Southwest Edgecombe High School to provide significant updates to the school’s electronics lab (they are the biggest electronics manufacturer in the area, so this makes perfect sense!).

Last weekend, a team of their employees worked with the teacher and some students on building new workstations and updating technological tools. It's an ongoing project that, when completed, will include complete lab upgrades for the technology program, new flooring, new equipment, and these new workstations.

Check out The Daily Southerner's recent story about their weekend project.

The Partnership
Keihin decided to partner with Southwest Edgecombe High School to develop their electronics program, currently one of just a few in the state. The partnership will support specialized training and education for students interested in scientific or technical careers, providing Keihin will a talented future workforce.

In addition to updating the school’s electronics lab, the company plans to provide technical resources for lectures, grant the school access to facility tours, and develop an apprenticeship program for students.

Straight from the Horse's Mouth (not that we're calling anyone a horse!)
“We want to positively influence Edgecombe County’s youth and show them that there are good, local jobs in science-related fields,” said Chris Eckhardt, Keihin’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “By providing opportunities for students to further their education, we are able to prepare them for the technical jobs we are creating right here in eastern North Carolina." 

Keihin’s educational support extends to the community college and university level, as well. Starting this spring, the company will award scholarships to select Edgecombe Community College students transferring to East Carolina University’s College of Technology and Computer Science. Keihin also recently provided funding for an instrumentation lab at East Carolina University.

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If you watched President Obama's State of the Union address the other night, you may have noticed his praise for creating a pipeline between educational systems, communities, and jobs. That is exactly what Keihin is doing with their investment in high schools, community colleges, and universities.

So, what we're saying here is:

1. These guys are awesome!
2. It's cool not just to give back, but to give back in a way that makes a real difference for everyone--whether it's students, teachers, employers, or whomever!

Nice work, Keihin!


The Keihin Nitty-Gritty
Keihin Carolina Systems Technology is an electronic assemblies manufacturer based in Tarboro, NC. The company uses advanced robotics technologies and automated manufacturing processes to lead the industry in quality performance and to provide world-class products. Intelligent products, some of the most highly sought‐after products worldwide, are our specialty. We provide these products to our customers, adhering to a worldwide standard of environment preservation and utilizing state of the art technology. For more information, visit www.cstech-inc.com.