Southern States Toyotalift builds community through Care Committee Initiatives.
SOUTHERN STATES TOYOTALIFT has long believed that service extends beyond the walls of its facilities. That philosophy led to the creation of the company’s Care Committee, a group dedicated to identifying needs and coordinating community outreach across its branches.
“One of our core values is to ‘faithfully serve,’ and we wanted to instill that value at each of our branches and their surrounding communities,” said Jennifer McCants, marketing manager at Southern States Material Handling. “The Care Committee was formed to give our associates a voice and a place to share what is going on within their community and within the branch.”
McCants said the marketing team plays a supporting role by creating promotional materials, sharing updates internally and externally and showcasing each initiative across social media. But the inspiration, she emphasized, comes from the associates themselves. “Our philosophy is to treat our commitment to the community with the same dedication, consistency and excellence that we apply to our business operations,” she said. “We want to faithfully serve everyone, both inside and outside our organization.”
That commitment shows up throughout the company’s footprint. Southern States Toyotalift regularly donates forklifts and other essential equipment to food pantries, churches and disaster relief organizations, especially after hurricanes. “Our rental coordinators lead the majority of these efforts,” McCants said.
Branches also champion their own local causes. Two northern locations partner annually with Hunger Fights, packaging meals and assembling educational books for children facing hunger and illiteracy. The company maintains a strong focus on veterans through dedicated recruitment, hiring and professional development programs. And each year, employees participate in Toyota’s national Lift the Community Day, joining food and toy drives, community cleanups and mealprep events.
McCants encouraged other MHEDA members to start by listening. “Talk to your employees: Who do they know? What do they do on their own time? Find out what is happening in your communities,” she said. She also recommended engaging customers to learn about the organizations and events they support. “There are so very many ways to help and serve. It only takes a spark to light the flame.”
For Southern States Toyotalift, that spark continues to fuel meaningful impact – one branch, one associate and one community at a time.
