At Central States, giving back isn’t contained by the holiday season, it’s a year-round commitment that reflects the heart of the company’s employee-owned culture. In 2025, Central States invested more than $250,000 into the communities where it operates through charitable contributions, community programs, and volunteer initiatives. This milestone is more than a number; it represents the We Live Here, We Work Here and We Serve Here mentality of the entire Central States team.
Throughout the year, our employee-owners came together to support many causes to support families in need. In Springdale and Lowell, Arkansas, teams organized food drives and partnered with local shelters to provide meals and essential supplies to local families who needed extra support. These efforts ensured that neighbors facing difficult times had access to the resources they need.
At the Tooele, Utah plant, just opened in 2025, employee-owners worked hand in hand with community leaders to continue the renovation of the historic Ritz Theater, an important local landmark that had fallen into disrepair.
The Seguin, Texas facility dedicated its entire Giving Back budget to support the Thriving Hearts Crisis Center, an organization committed to helping survivors of domestic violence. In addition to the financial support, the Central States team manufactured silhouettes and designed custom shirts for Thriving Hearts’ annual vigils, events that promote a powerful message of remembrance and hope.
“Employee ownership means more than sharing in the success of our company, it means sharing in the responsibility to strengthen our communities,” CEO Jim Sliker said. “Giving back is part of who we are, and I’m proud of the passion our teams bring to these efforts every year.”
Back To School backpack drives in Hartford, South Dakota and Scottsville, Kentucky distributed school supplies and backpacks to hundreds of children in their respective areas. These events have become community mainstays and ones that are looked forward to every year by the communities around each plant.
The Claysburg, Pennsylvania team gathered for a festive Thanksgiving celebration to benefit 50 area families in need, bringing together leadership and employee-owners to distribute Thanksgiving food items “drive-thru” style. It was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen connections, reflect on the year’s accomplishments, and celebrate the spirit of teamwork that defines the Central States employee culture.
Giving back to the communities the company lives and works in is such a core part of Central States’ culture that the company gives all employees paid time off each year to participate in these philanthropic community activities and the company has an official Giving Back program and budget, both company-wide and at the site level, to support the effort.
While many Giving Back initiatives are established by individual employee-owners with a passion for a specific community project, there are some company-wide Giving Back projects that span the entire country and pull in employee-owners from many Central States facilities.
A timely example of this is the Wreaths Across America program that Central States has supported for many years. Each year, Central States dedicated fleet drivers join truck drivers from across many other states and companies to pick up and deliver beautiful holiday wreaths to veteran graves as a solemn act of remembrance. Central States employee-owners in all of our communities join with thousands of other local volunteers to place these wreaths on local graves.
And this year, Central States has the prestigious honor of being one of the companies across the country selected to deliver wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery as part of Wreaths Across America.
These partnerships reflect the Central States core values of care, compassion, and community, which extend beyond financial donations into hands-on community care delivered through the hard work and caring hearts of the company’s employee-owners.
These are just a few of the many philanthropic projects supported by our 13 sites and more than 1,300 employee-owners.
Looking ahead, Central States is planning another impact Giving Back year for 2026, because at Central States, success isn’t measured only in revenue, it’s measured in the lives we touch and the communities we help thrive.
