Dear Fairmount Family Members and Friends,
Welcome to our fifth annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report.
Five years into our journey, we have learned, changed and grown a great deal. While Sustainability remains a key priority for our business, we encourage businesses to adopt sustainable strategies for within our industry and across the markets we serve. Our strong sustainability foundation has enabled Fairmount Minerals to chart a path for a strong future.
Our core values guide who we are and what we do, and in 2010 Fairmount Minerals was delighted to focus on our celebration principle. The past year gave us many reasons to celebrate, chief amongst them our successes related to People, Planet and Prosperity (3P’s). We grew our Fairmount family by approximately 20 percent to over 600, and their good work resulted in a 97.4 percent completion of our 2010 sustainability goals. In particular, we met a longstanding goal of our organization, with more than 500 family members participating in volunteer activity. Based on our January 2010 headcount, every Fairmount family member donated time and energy to a charitable cause. This represents one of the most significant and proud moments in our organizational history.
We also celebrated the ways in which sustainable development adds value through enhanced prosperity. Since 2009, we have tracked data related to cost savings and revenue associated with sustainability efforts. From waste elimination to energy efficiency to wellness initiatives and more, we find that sustainable development pays. As a result of Fairmount Minerals’ unequivocal commitment to sustainable projects, we generated more than $9.3 million in value in 2010, which — while impressive — is but a supplement to the immeasurable intangible value our sustainability commitments create.
Our strength as a business is inherently linked to our sustainability strategy. This proved evident in 2010 when we sold a majority stake in our company to American Securities, a private equity firm that values long-term relationships with its investment companies. When we recognized a need to create liquidity for our retirement fund and longstanding shareholders, we sought out a partner that shared our commitment to sustainable development. Fairmount Minerals’ ability to proactively manage social and environmental risks and extract value from sustainability opportunities helped to position our organization as an attractive investment. For Fairmount Minerals, our new partnership with American Securities not only offers liquidity and diversification for shareholders, but it also presents access to an experienced management resource group and financial capital.
As we prepare for growth in 2011, Fairmount Minerals will continue to explore the ways in which we can support sustainable solutions to global challenges. We are proud of the products we are bringing to market — products that support global water resources and products that support an industry bringing natural gas, a cleaner and abundant fuel source, to the domestic market. Over the next year, we will continue to build up capacity and expand R&D to ensure we meet our customers’ needs while, at the same time, increasing our participation in activities spanning all 3 P’s. This growth will be ushered in by a new generation of leadership who are sincerely committed to advancing Fairmount Minerals’ sustainable practices.
We look forward to further engaging our stakeholders and introducing our newest Fairmount family members to Appreciative Inquiry at our summit in late 2011. Fundamentally, Appreciative Inquiry is about acknowledging the best in people and organizations and building upon strengths. We are rooted in a commitment to our people, our planet and our prosperity — and it is with deep gratitude that we look forward to a future made brighter, bolder, and stronger because of it.
Sincerely,
Chuck Fowler