Creating Unity Through Education

Granite Education Foundation (GEF) and Coller Industries Incorporated are working together, again!

Due to our donations and continual support, Granite Education Foundation invited Coller Industries to attend this year’s Excel Evening of Honors. The “EXCEL Evening of Honors” was held on April 21st.

Every year, Granite Education Foundation supporters gather to recognize outstanding teachers, administrators and community members whose personal commitment and contribution impacts 67,000 students in the Granite School District.

The annual EXCEL Award publicly honors and recognizes educators who raise the bar of their profession. The award recognizes teaching that incites intellectual curiosity in students, engages them thoroughly in the enterprise of learning, and has a lifelong impact.

Winners are nominated by school administrators, parents, colleagues and students through an intensive application process. A selection committee then reviews each application. Members of this Excel Selection Committee then surprise each winner at their school with the announcement. This interaction was recorded and shared at the presentation event.

The committee received over a thousand nominations and had to select only ten winners.

Gary Coller, President of Coller Industries, said, “I look forward to this every year, it’s an honor to be around great educators and dedicated professionals who support them. (With ten great teachers honored), and I was able to present an award to a teacher whose mother has also been recognized as a teacher of the year.”

Emily Lehnardt believes that children are perfect candidates for her to “awaken” the human spirit to love life-long learning. She feels children exude great curiosity and seemingly limitless creativity.

Emily applies Dr. Einstein’s teaching philosophy in her classroom. She believes Dr. Einstein lived in creative expression and knowledge. His creativity through experiments gave the world cutting-edge information.

“Ms. Lehnardt is exactly what my son needed in first grade. Her passion for teaching and learning shines through and really inspired him to love going to school.” -Parent

Ramona Braunberger, Marketing Manager for Coller Industries, said, “Emily is the educator you want (for your child). It is very apparent that she cares about the kids and is excited about teaching.”

During the gala, each winner received a special “Excel Award,” a gift basket, a monetary award, and other generous gifts to recognize their achievements.

“Every year we have the phenomenal opportunity to recognize educators who exemplify the values and mission of Granite School District,” said Dr. Martin W. Bates, Granite School District Superintendent.

“These individuals have demonstrated exceptional teaching skills and a commitment to student success. In addition, they provide meaningful contributions to their school community, and are constantly seeking ways to improve the educational experience of their students,” said Dr. Bates.

Congratulations to the 2017 GEF Excel Winners!

Emily Lehnardt – Cottonwood Elementary
Sheri Coats – Armstrong Academy
Sarah Wilson – South Kearns Elementary
Zachary Layton – Eisenhower Jr High
Wendee Johnston – Whittier Elementary
Yvonne Miller – Fremont Elementary
Rhonda Small-Oakes – Hartvigsen
Anita Ardi – Churchill Jr High
Callah Morrey – West Kearns Elementary
Craig Stauffer – Hunter High

Why Honor Teachers?

Research shows that students with high-performing teachers can progress three times as fast as students with low-performing teachers. Effective educators can influence the climate of the entire school. Their commitment, passion, expertise, and creativity are infectious. Students love them because they make learning fun and engaging. Administrators love them because they get results. Parents love them because they affirm their student’s potential.

In the face of increasing class sizes and insufficient funding and resources, the majority of Granite District teachers are dipping into their own pockets and their own time to bridge the gap for their students. Educators are finding progressive and engaging solutions to institutional problems and changing the world, one child at a time.

Coller Industries is proud to be a part of this process. While our role is small in comparison to these educators, we are still happy that we get to take part. Our children’s education has a direct impact on our business as we like to focus on working in our community. Helping out our local community is a large part of what defines the generosity of Coller Industries Incorporated.

3 Top Lessons Learned from Donating

There are many lessons to be learned from providing donations to our clients.

For almost eight years, Clyde and Gary Coller, the CEO and President of Coller Industries Incorporated have generously donated to Granite Education Foundation. The Collers give time and money to those in need, and each year they strive to give back to our local community.

We started donating to Granite Education Foundation in 2009 and to date we have given over $37,000. As employees here at Coller Industries, it is a delight knowing that our employer is so generous and giving to our community. And, each of these individual donations makes its mark on both the givers and the receivers. And each teaches valuable lessons.

Lesson No. 1:

“(Donations make) us more responsible in the community,” said Gary Coller. “Hopefully our customers appreciate when they see that we give back to our community.”

Well said, Gary! These donations not only make us more responsible, but they also make us more aware of the needs of our neighbors and communities. From needing name tags in school and other places of business to needing a helping hand to members of our community, one will always find Coller Industries in the act of giving.

Lesson No. 2:

We received the following letter and valentines from Granite Education Foundation:

Hey, Valentine!
Exchanging heartfelt messages on Valentine’s Day is a well-loved tradition. While the earliest Valentines were little more than hastily scribbled notes, today we can choose from thousands of varieties, each designed for a specific relationship in our lives. A hundred years ago, only sweethearts exchanged Valentine’s Day cards, but the practice has spread to encompass friends, family, colleagues and supporters.
This year, Granite Education Foundation and students from throughout Granite School District want to express our heart-felt thanks for your continued generosity and support. Enclosed you will find hand-made Valentine’s Day cards that our students created with YOU in mind. Additionally, please find enclosed a small edible token as an expression of Granite Education Foundation’s appreciation for your continued support and boundless goodwill.
In our opinion, YOU’RE AWESOME SAUCE, Valentine! Thanks for believing in our mission and for the extra boost you give kids and educators. We couldn’t accomplish what we do without YOU.
Thank you with all our heart!
Brent Severe, Chief Executive Officer
JeAnna Ellis, Office Coordinator / Donor Relations
Audrey Price, Finance / Operations
Erin Woodlief, Giving / Events Coordinator

Donating means that not only have we impacted the lives of Coller Industries employees, but also the lives of the children and teachers in our neighborhoods. So, no matter what we do, we are always aware that people are watching and wondering what we do. It’s never about the name tag, it’s always about the person!

And, last but not least, Lesson No. 3:

By believing in the mission of other organizations and helping them in their directives, we end up helping ourselves. Now, while this may sound a bit selfish, here are the reasons that isn’t the case.

By helping Granite Education Foundation with their needs, we benefit the lives of countless children. Which, in turn, helps their families. And that’s only the beginning of the chain! By paying our efforts forward, we are in fact returning to our community. And just look at the wonderful thank you’s we have received thus far!

We’ve learned from these lessons and we just want to say thank you right back! So, not only to Granite Education Foundation but to all those who receive our donations, THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU! We cherish all of our customers and their communities!

Donations: Animal Care Centers of NYC

Coller Industries prides ourselves on our contributions and donations to our community. And we love bragging about our wonderful customers!

We care about all of our customers. And part of that caring means that we give back to our local community and all of our customers. With being the go-to specialist for all personal identification needs, Coller Industries enjoys making donations of name tags and other custom items to those in need.

This week, we’re highlighting a recent donation:
Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC).

coller industries customer donations to animal care centers of NYC

Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) is one of the largest animal welfare organizations in the country, taking in more than 35,000 animals each year. We are different from other rescue organizations because we never turn away any homeless, abandoned, injured or sick animals in need, including cats, dogs, rabbits, small mammals, reptiles, birds, farm animals and wildlife.

“(ACC is) relentlessly working hard… to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of pets and people in NYC,” explained Amy Bianciella, Special Events and Creative Manager, at Animal Care Centers of NYC.

Bianciella encourages everyone to “adopt, don’t shop” for their next loving pet.

Reusable badges are a versatile way to get a lot of name badges for a great, low price.

Mighty Badges are a great way to use a reusable name tag. The metal plates can be ordered plain or with a printed logo and names are quick and easy to add with the printable inserts. The Mighty Badge system is easy to use, as the three parts simply snap together to give you a professional looking, yet reusable, name badge.

Animal Care Centers received a donation of the white Standard Mighty Badge. Deluxe Magnets were the fasteners of choice. These strong magnets attach easily, even through thick clothing, while preventing holes and clothing damage.

Coller Industries loves providing these donations, especially when given to such a great cause. We stand by our customers and strive to help in our community. All of our donations are something that helps us stand out from our competition. And the best part is working with these wonderful people!

Donations: Neighborhood House

Coller Industries prides itself on our contributions to our community. Donations to repeat customers make our work completely worth it.

While we care about all of our customers, we love it when we have customers that feel comfortable coming back to us every year. Part of our community of caring means that we give back to this local community. With being the go-to specialist for all personal identification needs, Coller Industries enjoys donating name tags and other custom items to those who need a little bit of help.

This time, Neighborhood House of Salt Lake City needed our help to keep their costs down. They are a wonderful organization and they work with a lot of people. Constantly needing to identify these individuals can get expensive.

“Coller Industries donated name tags for Neighborhood House staff, board and committee members which will help make them more visible during events,” said Breighlin Johanson, Development Coordinator for Neighborhood House.

“Neighborhood House board and committee members are volunteers from our community who donate their time and talent to our Children’s Programs and Adult Day Services, helping make sure we operate an excellent non-profit with high-quality care available to low-income families in Salt Lake,” Johanson further explained.

Logo Name Tags

These name tags, chosen from a variety of colors, are engraved plastic. Each name tag featured someone’s name, title and the Neighborhood House logo. These name tags are a great representation of how versatile Coller Industries’ products are. Each name tag is personally inspected to make sure it meets our quality standards and then it is sent to the customer.

“Thank you again for Coller Industries’ generosity,” Johanson said. “Donations from partners like Coller Industries allow Neighborhood House to direct funds where they are needed most. This empowers low-income families to access quality, affordable day care and supportive services.”

We are grateful for organizations such as the Neighborhood House. All of our donations are something that help us stand out from our competition. And the best part is working with wonderful people just like this!

Donations: Mrs. Smithson’s Kindergarten Class

Getting a quality education is important to
Coller Industries. So are donations!

As your go-to specialist for personal identification needs, Coller Industries strives to make a difference in our community. Part of this is to donate our time, products and solutions to those in need. Recently we were contact by someone in great need of our assistance.

“Teachers spend a lot out of pocket and having this donation helps (our) eight kindergarten teachers out,” said Michelle Smithson, Kindergarten teacher at Overall Creek Elementary in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Coller Industries donated lanyards and badge holders to help these classrooms with their needs.

“We will be using these lanyards for the students to have their name and library and lunch numbers printed on a tag to be able to independently type in their numbers on the keypad. Even in Kindergarten we, as teachers, are not allowed to help them type this number in for them. Having the lanyards gives them the visual to be able to look and see their numbers. Also having a lanyard helps to easily put them on and for storage,” said Smithson.

Round Corded Lanyards

Cord badge lanyards have length of 36 inches with a J-hook fastener, ideal for badge holders and ID Badges. These simple and inexpensive lanyards come in over a half a dozen classic colors.

Light Weight Badge Holders

These badge holders are a common size (2.25 x 3.5 inches) for meetings, schools and visitor passes. This is an economical vinyl option. The 8 mil vinyl is sturdy enough for light use and provides a few fastener options.

Smithson also explained, “We are in the ‘kid business’ doing our best to instill a love for learning and inquiry through (our) STEAM curriculum.” The donation will help them to stand up to their school goals: to assure academic & personal success for each child.

When given to such a great cause, Coller Industries loves providing these donations. We stand by our customers and strive to help in our community. All of our donations are something that help us stand out from our competition. And the best part is working with wonderful people like this!