Letter on the Third — July 2019
Dear Datamax Family,
“What does it mean to be “true blue?”
“True Blue” is an expression defined as “unwavering in one's commitment; extremely loyal.” Being “true blue” certainly applies to honoring our commitments to the clients we serve, and to each and every Datamax employee’s professional development. But what about the communities in which we serve?
Consider Datamax Philosophy #6 (from the Little Blue Book): “To recognize and accept the responsibility of being an involved corporate citizen in the community.” Being “true blue” corporate citizens means taking on the responsibility to give back to those who give us the opportunity to serve them. Whether it’s a fundraiser, collecting donations or just a few hours of manual labor, we will never be “just another business” in the cities in which we work. It’s within our cultural fiber to be a part of the community… to give back... to remain involved.
This core philosophy is one I’ve carried with me for decades; over this time, I’ve had my share of extremely valuable life experiences through giving back. One that comes to mind is chairing a Kids Marathon here in Little Rock through my involvement with Rotary. Seeing the kids run their race and get handed their trophies was something I’ll never forget. Another was being chairman of the board for Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI). During my time as chairman, we were able to construct a beautiful new facility for this group to fully carry out its mission. Seeing the development of this facility over time was so exciting.
I saw involved corporate citizens at the River Cities Dragon Boat Festival late last month here in Central Arkansas. This is a wonderful event for building team camaraderie, 20 employees rowing in synchronicity across the lake in a 46-foot-long dragon boat. It’s also the biggest annual fundraiser for the Children’s Protection Center in Little Rock, a wonderful organization that works diligently to protect and treat child abuse victims and their families. I see involved corporate citizens in Texas, like the latest canned food drive for the Tarrant Area Food Bank. The continued support of Jonathan’s Place, a great example of us lifting up an organization that doesn’t have the larger resources to draw from to fulfill its mission of housing abused and neglected youth. Employees in East Texas have fully pursued this notion of involved corporate citizenship, whether that’s the Toys for Tots fundraiser this past Christmas, or the United Way’s work day in Tyler last month.
We all share in this responsibility of staying involved. Giving back is inscribed as a core component to our company philosophy in the Datamax Little Blue Book. It’s been formalized through our DatamaxCares Program, to actively seek worthy causes and carry out initiatives every year at all Datamax locations. Giving back means when people think of Datamax, they think of more than just copiers or IT services. They know that Datamax Cares.
As involved corporate citizens, we’re truly “true blue.” The Best is Yet to Be.
Your Raving Fan,
