Author: Kelli Fletcher

Operating Sustainably, Successfully

Kelli FletcherBlog, Case Studies, Sustainability

We always love the work we do and the clients for which we do it. And sometimes projects are extra-special. Last week, Clairemont helped client Ingersoll Rand wrap and publish its 2020 Sustainability Report.

The report is more than a labor of love for the company. It’s a year-long story that highlights the progress that Ingersoll Rand made in driving Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) leadership throughout 2020 – despite the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Ingersoll Rand Industrials segment merged with Gardner Denver, Inc. in March 2020, the company committed to moving forward in its efforts and goals around sustainability. But Ingersoll Rand didn’t stop at that simple pledge. Instead, its leaders and employees worked to expand and surpass the promise, making sustainability the fuel to its future goals, growth, success and value.

We are proud of the meaningful work Ingersoll Rand does – internally and in the world – and we are proud to have the company as a client!

Ingersoll Rand Publishes 2020 Sustainability Report
Report demonstrates how company is driving Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) leadership as a competitive advantage
ESG and Sustainability Report Webcast Scheduled for August 6, 2021

DAVIDSON, N.C. – July 15, 2021 –  World-class recordable safety metrics, a 50% diverse Board of Directors, expanding stockholder rights and giving $150 million as one of the largest employee equity grants believed to ever be given from an industrial company are just a few of the highlights in the Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE: IR) 2020 Global Sustainability Report published this week.

This report marks the company’s second annual Sustainability Report and shines a spotlight on the Operate Sustainably strategic imperative, which is one of five strategic imperatives of Ingersoll Rand along with deploy talent, accelerate growth, expand margins and allocate capital effectively.

“This journey began with a simple commitment to sustainability and that commitment is now fueling our future goals, growth, success and value,” said Vicente Reynal, president and CEO, Ingersoll Rand. “Maximizing our Ingersoll Rand Execution Excellence (IRX) discipline to unlock our ESG potential positively impacts our employees, customers and communities. I am proud of the year-long story of progress this report shares and the employees who made it happen in spite of the challenges we collectively faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Highlights from this Sustainability Report include:

  • Inspired employees are the engine behind everything Ingersoll Rand achieves: Broad-based employee ownership and investment in employees through $150 million employee equity grant takes performance to a new level with employees as active participants in the journey to create long-term value. With thinking and acting like an owner as one of the company values, it changes the mindset from “this is the company I work for, to this is my company.”
  • Growing leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion: Ingersoll Rand’s newly announced ambitious 2025 goals in the areas of representation, advancement and experience.
  • Leveraging mission-critical products and services, and internal operations to positively impact our planet: Ingersoll Rand’s aggressive 2030 and 2050 goals for water, energy use and waste reduction.
  • Implementing governance best practices: Meaningful stockholder-empowering governance enhancements bring the same focus to governance as the company brings to the environmental and social aspects of the ESG journey.
  • Building resilient communities around the world: Ingersoll Rand’s principal partnership with Engineers Without Borders focuses on sustainable community development and infrastructure.
  • Creating shareholder value: Ingersoll Rand’s focus on strengthening the balance sheet and supporting the portfolio transformation and inorganic growth strategy through completed or proposed strategic acquisitions—such as Seepex, Maximus, Tuthill Vacuum and Blower Systems, and Albin Pump—is creating long-term value for stockholders.

ESG and Sustainability Report Investor Call and Presentation

Ingersoll Rand will host an investor conference call on Friday, August 6, 2021 at 8 a.m. (Eastern time) to discuss the company’s ESG progress, roadmap and 2020 Sustainability Report. To participate in the call, please dial 1-833-502-0496, domestically, or 1-778-560-2573, internationally, and use conference ID 9668554, or ask to be joined into the Ingersoll Rand call.

About Ingersoll Rand Inc.

Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR), driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and ownership mindset, is dedicated to helping make life better for our employees, customers and communities. Customers lean on us for our technology-driven excellence in mission-critical flow creation and industrial solutions across 40+ respected brands where our products and services excel in the most complex and harsh conditions. Our employees develop customers for life through their daily commitment to expertise, productivity and efficiency. For more information, visit www.IRCO.com.

Read more about the amazing things that our clients are doing here.

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PR Haven Seeking PR Maven

Kelli FletcherBlog, PR People, Public Relations, The Clairemont Team,

Are you a smart, responsible, creative and hard-working public relations practitioner who can tackle any assignment and is ready to join a growing team of highly motivated communications professionals? Clairemont Communications is seeking someone who enjoys the co-learning of a team environment and shares the passion for delivering quality client service!

Ideal candidates work well in both collaborative environments and independently as self-starters. We are seeking high-energy PR leaders with the ability to build client plans and strategies while anticipating the needs of our accounts and agency. Responsibilities include ensuring that work is delivered satisfactorily and on time, and that relevant team members are kept up-to-date on the status of assigned projects and accounts.

Versatile applicants who have experience pitching media, creating social media strategy for businesses, writing effective media and marketing materials, executing successful client events, and cultivating new business leads will be given first consideration.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism or communications
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience
  • Strong writing, critical thinking and time management skills
  • Has proven, solid written and verbal communication skills
  • Project management experience and strong organizational skills
  • Motivated self-starter who can handle multiple projects and deadlines at the same time
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment
  • Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel

Appreciated Skills

  • Video editing experience
  • Ability to communicate in multiple languages

Is Clairemont the place for you? Email your resume and cover letter if so!

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WGU North Carolina Turns Three!

Kelli FletcherBlog, Case Studies, Clairemont Client News, , , ,

This month Clairemont client WGU North Carolina, an affiliate of Western Governors University, is celebrating its third anniversary. WGU, an accredited, competency-based, nonprofit online university, offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degrees. Since launching in 2017, WGU North Carolina’s enrollment has more than tripled to 3,900 active students spread throughout nearly all of North Carolina’s 100 counties.

To celebrate, Chancellor Catherine Truitt has announced the launch of the WGU North Carolina Three for Three Scholarships in which 10 residents will receive $3,000 each in tuition credit.

We’re proud of the work we do with WGU North Carolina as they aim to expand access to higher education across our state.

Below is the official announcement from WGU North Carolina.

Image courtesy of WGU

WGU North Carolina Announces $3,000 “Three for Three” Scholarships in Recognition of Third Anniversary

— Ten winners will each receive tuition credit of $3,000 —

On October 5, 2017, Western Governors University President Scott Pulsipher visited the North Carolina Legislative Building in Raleigh to officially launch WGU North Carolina as a state affiliate. The establishment of WGU North Carolina was previously authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor Pat McCrory in October 2015. In recognition of its third anniversary, Chancellor Catherine Truitt has announced the launch of the WGU North Carolina Three for Three Scholarships. Ten residents will receive $3,000 each in tuition credit (at $750 per six-month term, renewable for up to four terms).

Designed for working adults, WGU is an accredited, nonprofit online university offering more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degrees in IT, business, K-12 teacher education, and healthcare, including nursing. WGU offers an asynchronous, competency-based model that allows students to log in and access coursework at a time convenient for them, and to accelerate at their own pace. Tuition is around $3,250 per six-month term for most undergraduate degree programs.

Over the past three years, WGU North Carolina’s enrollment has more than tripled to 3,900 active students. School officials also shared the following statistics (as of September 2020):

  • 4,217 WGU graduates live in 97 of North Carolina’s 100 counties
  • Over the past three years, nearly $1.3 million in scholarships has been awarded to 606 recipients
  • 74% of students work full-time, and 10% work part-time
  • Students range in age from 17 to 75
  • 22% of students are from low-income families
  • One in five WGU North Carolina students is affiliated with the military community

“WGU North Carolina was established to expand access to higher education in our state, and at this time, an affordable degree in a high-demand field can provide individuals with the means to help their families weather tough economic times and eventually thrive when things return to normal,” said Chancellor Truitt. “Our Three for Three Scholarships will provide meaningful assistance to 10 individuals who are committed to furthering their education and their careers.”

To apply for the WGU North Carolina Three for Three Scholarships, you must be a resident of North Carolina. Scholarships will be awarded based on a candidate’s academic record, financial need, readiness for online study at WGU, and current competency, plus other considerations. The application deadline is December 31. To learn more about the WGU North Carolina Three for Three Scholarships or to apply, visit nc.wgu.edu/3for3.

For more information about WGU North Carolina, visit nc.wgu.edu.

About WGU North Carolina

WGU North Carolina is an online competency-based university established to expand access to higher education for North Carolina residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. WGU has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at nc.wgu.edu.

Interested in how we’ve helped other clients celebrate anniversary milestones? Read more here.

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Good Food for a Good Cause

Kelli FletcherBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , ,

These past few months have been a doozy. We’ve all done our share of coping in one (or more … ) ways. I’ve tried a few different tactics myself. But mostly, per the advice of Mr. Rogers, I keep my eyes peeled “looking for the helpers.”

Once it was a family on my street who walked the dog of their elderly neighbor after she experienced a bad fall shortly after lockdown. I’ve also seen it in an individual on the listserv who offered to collect grocery lists and shop for people who are high-risk. Every day I spot more and more helpers who #wearamask.

This month, it has been our client, PDQ, the fast-casual restaurant beloved for its famous chicken tenders, signature sauces, fries and shakes. To celebrate its grand re-opening, PDQs in the Triangle partnered with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, which has seen a 35 percent increase in the number of people facing hunger in the service area since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

At its kickoff on July 12, PDQ donated a meal for every meal purchased at its Triangle locations in Durham, Raleigh and Wake Forest. Since then – and for one more week at each of these stores – customers have the option to round up their checks to further support the Food Bank.

Image courtesy of PDQ.

So, if you have a longing to DO SOMETHING while also hankering for delicious chicken tenders, wings or a shake that will take you back to simpler times (aka your childhood), swing by the closest PDQ and round up that check to give back locally during this unprecedented time.

We’re proud of the work we do, especially when it not only helps our clients but also the broader community. Want to read more about our clients and the work they’re doing? Check out our Client News section on the blog!

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Once Upon A Time … How to Write a Story

Kelli FletcherBlog, Clairemont Client News, ,

This month, acclaimed local author and client, Carrie Knowles, released “A Self-Guided Workbook and Gentle Tour on Learning How to Write Stories from Start-to-Finish“. The book is a compilation of advice, examples and exercises to inspire writers of all levels – even beginners.

It’s no secret that at Clairemont we’re sticklers for good writing and a good story. Even more, we’re always excited for an opportunity to learn a new skill – especially during these days of quarantine.

We recently chatted with Carrie about a few pillars that she believes are the must-haves for a good story. If you’ve always been interested in learning how to write stories or if you’re just wanting to try something new, read on to see Carrie’s top tips!

1. Get to know your main character before you start writing your story.

Give him or her a birthday so you will know how old that person is as the story progresses.

By giving that person a birthday, you will also know when he or she graduated from high school, what was going on in the world when he or she was growing up and where that person falls in the continuum of life’s expectations/disappointments/desires. Decide what he or she wants and why. What are the motivations of that individual?

Give the main character a place to live: a highly mortgaged home, mom’s basement, a hip singles apartment complex, a farming community or a big city. Think about how he or she fits in that living environment and why the character might want to either stay there or move.

Most importantly, figure out the strengths of that person as well as weaknesses. Use these attributes to help your character maneuver through solving a problem.

Oh, yeah…be sure to have a problem to solve. No problem = no story.

2. Understand the power and importance of that first page.

Think of that first page of your book/story/research paper as the promise you are making to your reader. That first page is the most important page you will ever write.

A good first page, or better yet, first sentence, sets up the story/book and lets your reader know what kind of journey they are going to experience in your work.

My favorite first sentence of all times is from “Out of Africa” by Isak Dinesen. She tells you the whole story — i.e. what you are going to experience — by reading her book in the first six words on page one: “I had a farm in Africa.”

From those few words, you know you are going to be reading an adventure story about Africa, about having a farm and losing a farm, and all that happens when everything you love in life is lost.

3. The most important thing you can ever do when you first sit down to write is to spew out a truly bad first draft.

Write like your hair is on fire. Like you have a story to tell and you have to blurt it out as quickly as possible or your mind will explode! BUT (and here’s the good part) you need to do it as badly as possible.

In fact, you need to create a truly ugly, disgusting, rambling mess that only you can clean up and reshape to have beauty and lyrical moments and brilliant characters.

That bad first draft is your toolbox. It helps you understand where you might go with your story. It can tell you what works and what won’t work. It should help you define your main character more clearly. It will give you a hint of the story arc and the problems and where there are holes in your story and where you’ve told too much.

It is exactly what you need to eventually make your work lift off the page and capture not only your imagination but also the interest and imagination of your reader.

Interested in hearing more about writing from Carrie? Be sure to check out “A Self-Guided Workbook and Gentle Tour on Learning How to Write Stories from Start-to-Finish“, available at Quail Ridge Books and online at Owl Canyon Press. Don’t miss Carrie’s other works including her latest book, “The Inevitable Past“, set to be released next month or her regular column on Psychology Today!

And check out more or our Clairemont client successes in Client News.

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