Johns Manville Employees Participate in “Build Day” with Habitat for Humanity

On September 13, 2012, approximately 20 employees of Johns Manville (JM), a leading global manufacturer of energy-efficient building products and engineered specialty materials, came together with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver to build one-third of a triplex home in Lakewood, Colorado. JM donated almost 50,000 square feet of insulation to the triplex project, as well as a variety of accessory items for a total donation equaling almost $16,000.

The idea for the JM/Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver project came as employees in the corporate Supply Chain department were brainstorming ideas for a team-building activity. Employees expressed a desire to participate in a “Build Day”, and once activity leader Olivia Carlson contacted the local Habitat office, it became clear that the project would be a perfect fit for JM.

“We asked (Habitat) if they had everything they needed for the home that we would be working on, and they said they always welcome donations of building materials,” said Olivia, who is a supply chain manager for JM. “As a manufacturer of building products, we were in an excellent position to provide the insulation for the project.”

The Johns Manville Build Day took place at 1549 Chase Street at the Bridgewood West construction site in Lakewood. The volunteer team, made up of employees from JM’s Supply Chain, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Finance departments, kicked off the day at 9 a.m. and continued working until 4 p.m. They made excellent progress on the home by installing siding and hanging gables.

Employees found the experience to be especially rewarding, and hope to have the opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver again in the future. JM encourages employees, their family members and friends to get involved in projects that make a difference in the community through its “STARS” (Striving To Assist, Respond and Serve) program. STARS hosts 30 to 40 volunteer projects each year, including blood drives, walks for various charities, landscaping and nature trail maintenance, soup kitchen service, and classroom volunteering.            

About Johns Manville
Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B), is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality products for building insulation, mechanical insulation, commercial roofing, and roof insulation, as well as fibers and nonwovens for commercial, industrial and residential applications. JM serves markets that include aerospace, automotive and transportation, air handling, appliance, HVAC, pipe and equipment, filtration, waterproofing, building, flooring, interiors and wind energy. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has annual sales of approximately $2.5 billion and holds leadership positions in all of the key markets that it serves. JM employs approximately 6,600 people and operates 40 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Additional information can be found at www.jm.com.

About Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver
Habitat for Humanity is a homeownership program for low-income families. It engages the community in building high quality, energy-efficient homes which are sold to hard-working families in desperate need of stable, affordable housing. Qualified families purchase Habitat homes with zero-interest loans and make mortgage payments based on 25 percent of the family's income. Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver has built almost 500 homes throughout its 33-year history of building in Denver. For more information about Habitat for Humanity, please visit www.habitatmetrodenver.org.