125 Years of Strengthening Timken Communities

For the past 125 years, Timken has thrived on the idea that what’s good for the communities where it operates is good for business. “It’s one thing that’s never changed,” says Shanna Ebert, principal community relations analyst.

Ebert cherishes her new role as the voice of Timken communities. We spoke to her about her approach to making community relations at Timken an even more powerful force for good.

What drives Timken’s longstanding commitment to investing in the communities where it operates?

Ebert: Timken leaders have long understood that when you have a strong community behind your business, you have a strong business. When you visit Timken facilities, you understand immediately that Timken is an integral part of the community. We have a sharp focus on investing in people where they live and work and empowering local employees to make decisions about where those investments are made. That’s a recipe for great community relations.

Maison pour la Science Alsace

Throughout France, Maison pour la Science supports teachers’ professional development and promotes greater access to high-quality STEM education for students ages 10 to 14. Our growing engagement with Maison’s chapter in the Alsace region includes sponsoring Fabrication Laboratory “FabLab” workspaces where students collaborate on projects and problem solving. In Colmar, France, Timken hosts diverse student groups to learn about STEM careers, participate in hands-on mechanical activities and tour manufacturing facilities.

Automotive Skill Development Corporation

In India, Timken promotes education and advancement skill development through support of Automotive Skill Development Corporation (ASDC) — an organization focused on developing and elevating technicians and a skilled workforce. To-date, more than 200 technicians have received skill development training.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity provides safe, affordable housing that improves the lives of underrepresented families and strengthens neighborhoods in 70 countries. Habitat homeowners help build their homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Timken built their first Habitat house in Romania in 1996 and launched Habitat volunteer efforts in the U.S. in 1999 in celebration of our centennial. Since then, Timken has built 35 homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of East Central Ohio, and hosted the organization’s first-ever all-women build day. Timken Ploiesti and Prahova teams support Habitat for Humanity Romania and most recently helped construct a series of quadruplexes in Berceni, located seven miles from our Ploiesti facility.

Pathfinders

Each year, Timken volunteers teach engineering topics to middle school-aged students of Timken employees in ways that inspire future study and a career in STEM. Children learn about materials science through a lava lamp demonstration, discover how gear ratios work by building LEGO drag cars and explore food science by observing the effects of liquid nitrogen on fruit.

Disaster Relief

When disaster strikes Timken communities, employees are quick to donate, mobilize and volunteer. The Timken Disaster Relief program aggregates employee giving to for greater efficiency and impact and has helped fund Red Cross aid to areas in crisis globally. Grass-roots philanthropy by individual facilities and Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) also meet targeted needs in specific communities.

United Way

United Way partners with local organizations that promote health, economic security and youth opportunity for families. In each community, United Way helps fund programs based on unique local priorities, ranging from after school programs to disaster relief in places impacted by severe weather. One of Timken’s founders, H. H. Timken, recognized the value of United Way when he helped establish the organization in Timken’s world headquarters community in 1922. Today, Timken employees throughout the U.S. and Canada support United Way through collective financial giving and group volunteering.

Science and Innovation Camps

Timken employees in China volunteer their time in the classroom, serving as mentors and helping cultivate the next generation’s interest in science and technology through science and innovation camps. These programs provide students in underdeveloped areas access to STEM education, inspiring them to innovate and guiding their future career choices.

What are Timken’s main areas of community investment?

Ebert: We prioritize STEM education and the basic needs of communities where we operate, providing programming support for major nonprofits, such as United Way and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and funding grant requests from local or regional organizations.

In India, where people face enormous disparities in healthcare access, for example, our team supports mobile health units. When Hurricane Helene struck the U.S. this year, Timken team members sprang into action in places that were impacted, directing funds and support to people in need.

Our STEM work around the world inspires the next generation of engineers and connects them to Timken. This year, five European countries put together a STEM proposal with some incredible ideas that will be implemented in the next year. Timken collaborates with NASA, FIRST, a global robotics community, and other organizations, and champions programs like Engineer for a Day, which has local and regional iterations around the world.

Timken’s WHQ community celebrates a 25-year partnership with Habitat for Humanity this year. Together they have built 35 houses, creating stable homes for local families in need. Shanna Ebert, pictured here, helped add insulation to this year’s Women Build home.

What’s your strategy for making it all happen?

Ebert: Our collaborative approach means people on the ground do the bulk of the organizing. As members of the community, they build important relationships and understand local needs. I rely on them and learn a ton from them, and they let me know where I can be helpful.

I spend a lot of time enabling strategic partnerships, inspiring volunteer engagement, and finding funding sources to address local needs. A big part of my job is just telling the story. When people hear about those mobile health units, or the hurricane relief efforts — or the many, sometimes spur-of-the-moment acts of kindness that Timken employees take time for throughout the year — it inspires them to think about what they could be doing in their own communities. To that end, I’m constantly looking for ways to measure our impact and collect and share those stories.

I make a habit of walking around and talking to people, to get to know them and to make sure they feel appreciated and heard. One person at a time, I’m working on building community within Timken so we can go out into the community and do even more good work.

What inspires you?

Ebert: People. They’re so much more complicated than we think they are, and they surprise you in the best ways. You have engineers designing components to support space exploration or surgical robots who will go read a book to a class of third graders. You have executives writing letters to at-risk teens to let them know they matter. We all just want to connect and belong, and that’s what community relations is about.

Timken’s culture of doing the right thing for employees, customers and the communities where it operates has led to global recognition, including repeated Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies^® recognition. Read more.

Last Updated: 2025/01/13

Published: 2024/12/17