A giving industry

“Ode to Tammy” highlights the selfless nature of our industry

By James Fisher

Jim Fisher is CEO of IMST Corp. that specializes in site selection and sales forecasts, facility operations analysis, existing site evaluation and market analysis. Contact Jim at (800) 231-4678 or jfisher@imstcorp.com.

Knowing this is the first column for the New Year is reflective in many ways. However, it is being written when there are still more than two weeks remaining before Christmas. Therefore, all of us are in the “throws of the season” and in the middle of all the shared feelings of giving to our loved ones, those in need, our personal and corporate favorite charities, etc.

Returning home last night from being out of town, driving into our neighborhood, seeing all the Christmas decorations and lights on all the homes led to my thinking about the giving nature of this industry all 12 months of every year. I was returning from a meeting with one of our large customers whom we have had the honor of serving for approximately 20 years. Every year, this one independent marketer raises tens of thousands of dollars for its select corporate charities. In addition, its employees conduct numerous charitable acts individually throughout the year. The company has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable causes during its history. And they are not alone.

The members of this industry are some of the largest contributors to such national charities as MDA, Make-A-Wish, Race For A Cure, the list goes on and on. The thousands of volunteer hours provided only add to the commitment displayed by the retail companies and their hundreds of suppliers/vendors. To many charitable organizations, I would imagine that if this industry did not participate to such an elevated level the charities themselves would become extinct. That is how significant the actions of our industry are to others. Whereas the actions are tremendous, the intentions are even more outstanding.

One example is one of our long-time customers in the Midwest. Annually, they raise thousands of dollars for a parochial school and have done this for nearly two decades. If it were not for the actions of this one company then it is quite conceivable the school would not exist today.

Yes, indeed, the members of our business community have huge and giving hearts. As with nearly all aspects of this industry, direction for such wonderful and human-felt acts never come from above; they are generated at ground level with all the employees, associates, peers, etc., that make up the soul of each of our companies.

My pride in what we accomplish as a group grows each day and magnifies annually; it merely becomes more apparent this time of year. I now have to explain why my heart is really filled at this moment. Our company has a primary charity that we have supported for many years here in Houston. It is called Boys and Girls Country Ranch and it is truly a wonderful organization that does tremendous work for children that radically changes their lives. Of course, we also have other charities to which we contribute, and support the specific causes, charities, benefits, etc., of our customers. We enjoy all of it.

This year just became a little more special due the actions of one of “our own,” Mrs. Tammy Snyder. Many of you know her; she is part of the glue that holds IMST together via her daily actions, wonderful creativeness and great feelings for people. This year she requested that our company become one of the sponsors and organizers for Toys For Tots. Our company (because of Tammy) is the coordinator, provider, et al for two buildings (ours plus a “sister” structure next door) in the business complex IMST has called home for the majority of its corporate life. Ours are not large buildings, both three stories and probably have approximately 150 to 200 people working in each. Honestly, the size does not matter. What does matter is the magnitude of the heart that has created this new “drop zone” for a special charity and the wonderful actions of those who work within the buildings resulting in some wonderful “surprises” for some very special kids. So, Tammy, here is to you, your heart and your thoughtfulness toward others. It all means more than you will ever know.

So, this is my toast to all of you and the very special acts you do on a daily basis. It is because of you that the lives of so many less fortunate than we have been improved, some in small ways, others in monumental ways. You show the business community as a whole what wonderful results can be achieved when truly heartfelt actions are embraced by so many within one industry. Have a prosperous and hugely successful 2007 and may God bless you and our great country.