In 2011, L&P began We Rise, an employee-funded program that helps to satisfy the emergency needs of employees and their immediate families in the aftermath of catastrophic events or natural disasters.
The fund exists due to the generosity of our people. In 2021, we held a fundraising campaign where L&P double-matched employee donations up to $50,000, and we were able to rebuild the fund with such incredible pledges and donations.
Recently, We Rise provided 13 employees from our Winchester, Kentucky facility with a total of $47,600 to help recover from flood damage. At L&P, we believe in putting people first and want our employees to know they are not alone in the wake of tragedy.
At L&P, we are committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees and being responsible stewards of the environment. Our Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHSS) Policy outlines our high standard of responsibility:
“We are dedicated to the safety and welfare of all employees through education, awareness, and prevention. Our goal is to reduce and eliminate workplace injuries through process safety and to continuously improve our employee safety. . .We aggressively pursue resource conservation opportunities throughout our operations. We use best practices to produce high-quality products while striving to reduce the impact on the environment.”
Tracy and Mark Phillips are living out our L&P values by putting people first and doing great work together.
Tracy is an Accounts Payable Coordinator at our corporate headquarters and Mark works in the Quality Department at our Flex-O-Lators location. They were married two years ago and felt a strong desire to help and give back within their local community during the pandemic. Together, they started Pressing Toward the Goal Ministries in the Southwest Missouri area.
“At the time we started this effort, it seemed like our country, and even our community, was going through so much division,” said Tracy. “Our main goal is to promote unity and help others in need.”
Pressing Toward the Goal recently hosted its second annual school supply giveaway. Through donations by L&P and other organizations, churches, and individuals, the team got backpacks and essential school supplies ready to donate. Nearly 200 families attended the giveaway and received supplies for the upcoming school year.
“The list of those who donated is quite long,” said Tracy. “When I mention ‘unity,’ that’s what I’m talking about. We are called to come together and lift each other up in times of need, and that’s what we try to do each day.”
Mario Martinez is a Machine Operator for our Sponge Cushion facility in Morris, Illinois. He will have worked for L&P for 22 years this October. And he knows just what it means to give back to those in need.
Mario started volunteering when he was young, as he watched his mother generously give to other people. As Mario grew with that same spirit of giving, in 1992, he came across his first opportunity to give back. He was made aware of an elderly woman in Cuba who needed extensive home repairs. Mario was able to help her bring indoor plumbing into her home.
Later, Mario noticed a story while browsing on Facebook about a Colombian woman who needed help for her grandson. After learning more, Mario chose to help her grandson go to college by paying for his tuition. He has since graduated and now works in nutrition.
And when Mario’s cousin mentioned a family in need in the Dominican Republic, Mario jumped at the opportunity to help. He learned of a single mother with health challenges and paid for the remodel of her family home. He even took two weeks of vacation from his job at L&P to travel to the Dominican Republic and make sure the remodel was progressing.
The house before and after Mario helped with remodeling.
“I’m grateful for Leggett & Platt,” Mario says. “When I started working here, I could only help others little by little. Now, I can help even more because I’m afforded more time off and the means to financially contribute to others. It means so much to me to be able to help others.”
The Doors internship program brings students from across the country to L&P to learn and grow as leaders.
Carson McGill is a Chemical Engineering major at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and has been working with Peterson Chemicals. Through his internship, Carson had the opportunity to take his knowledge, formulate theories, and watch those theories become a reality.
The Doors internship program brings students from across the country to L&P to learn and grow as leaders.
Eriel Morey is an Accounting major at the University of Missouri. Eriel heard about the Doors program through a panel event held at Mizzou in the fall and was encouraged by an L&P team member to apply.
This summer, 30 students from universities across the country participated in our Doors Internship program.
Doors allows students to gain real-life experience in their field of study through immersive leadership workshops. At L&P, we believe in putting people first, which starts with developing the best and brightest leaders!
