PITTSFIELD, Mass. — By the end of the year, SABIC may be gone.

But not forgotten.

Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corp.'s Innovative Plastics is leaving a legacy of philanthropy and community engagement behind with a parting gift of a $1 million endowment for the Berkshire United Way.

 

The company has made major impacts in the city of Pittsfield over the years with donations to the Berkshire United Way, employees serving on boards and commissions, and volunteer efforts on a number of projects. 

 

The headquarters are being moved to Houston and some 300 employees will be moved there or to Selkirk, N.Y. Greg Adams, the American division's regional vice president, said the company remains on track to vacate the Plastics Avenue building by the end of the year but true to the company's history of community support, it wanted to leave behind a lasting impact.

 

"Corporate social responsibility is one of the pillars of SABIC's strategy and we want to be a good citizen in all of the communities we operate in. We thought this was a nice tribute to the Berkshires and Berkshire United Way as we go through this change," Adams said.

 

With tears in her eyes, United Way CEO Kristine Hazzard called the gift "bittersweet." Over the last decade, SABIC has contributed some $2.5 million to the organization as well as thousands of volunteer hours to support an array of projects.

 

"The employees of SABIC also support so many other organizations and causes in addition to Berkshire United Way and that makes them even more of a vital component of our wonderful community," Hazzard said.

 

The company ran a grant program for science classes in local schools, which included working hands on at Williams Elementary with an outdoor science lab, employees helped build a pavilion at Canoe Meadows and cleared invasive species. The company gave science teachers $1,000 a year to use however the teacher deemed necessary and the employees found themselves in classrooms serving a role in teaching. The company participates in the downtown Pittsfield cleanup every year and built a learning lab at Hancock Shaker Village. Employees filled backpacks full of school supplies as part of the Newspapers in Education program. And more recently, they built the bookhouses that are now mini-lending libraries scattered throughout Berkshire County.

 

Those efforts are on top of employee fundraising drives that contributed some $1.7 million in pledges over nine years with the company matching 50 cents to every dollar.

 

"In our time together we've seen the organization grow; we've seen the organization change. But throughout the years, one thing has remained constant - the Berkshire United Way's relentless focus and passion for improving the quality of life for the residents of Pittsfield and Berkshire County," Adams said.

 

Right after moving to Pittsfield, the company made a $20,000 donation to the United Way and the two organizations have been partners since then. But, now the company will not have much of a presence - if at all. 

 

"Our loss is [the other cities] gain and that's what makes this so bittersweet," Hazzard said.

 

Adams said once the decision was made to move the headquarters, the company quickly decided it wanted to do something extra for the Berkshire United Way.

 

"We have always been involved with the community and Berkshire United Way and it was something that we did decide as a company to move forward with it as an endowment. We are thrilled that we are helping the Berkshire United Way," Adams said.

 

The loss of the annual giving from employees and the company would leave a hole in the United Way's budget efforts. That was before the announcement of the endowment. The United Way only has one endowment now to draw from on bad years and this builds a stable funding stream while the agency adapts to the change in fundraising.

 

"With an endowment, you can take a certain amount of dollars out each year and that is going to help fill the void. There are also various SABIC employees who are staying local because they found other jobs or whatever so we will continue to be friends with them and work with them," Hazzard said.

 

Later adding, "Looking at long-term stability you have to appreciate that there are tough times and good times. We have an endowment to really address those realities. Right now it is a good time getting it but it will also help us over the next couple years as we see what the new reality is for our community."

 

The organization focuses on a number of projects to improve the quality of life for residents. The largest focus in recent years has been on early childhood literacy. The United Way also has a positive youth development and recently launched a program connecting families with workplace coordinators to help provide financial stability.

 

"We've got to be on the ground a bit more. We need to out there not only raising money from companies but helping companies and their employees," Hazzard said.