Irrigation Association Members Contribute to Tsunami Relief Efforts

In the wake of the tsunami that crashed into nearly a dozen Southeast Asian nations two weeks ago, the green industry once again is showing its generosity. Contractors and manufacturers throughout the industry have made contributions to relief efforts in many national and international organizations. And, for his part, Claude Laval chose to send his donation straight to the people who needed it most.

“For 35 years, I’ve sent personal Christmas cards to friends in the industry and as part of my Christmas gift, my company has always made charitable contributions in those friends’ names,” explains Laval, president of Claude Laval Corp., Lakos Filtration Systems Division, Fresno, Calif. “This year, we decided to use the money for the relief program in Southeast Asia. Besides being a manufacturer for the irrigation industry, we also make products for other industries and have long-term relationships with distributors in that area of the world, so it was really no question where our donations were going to go this year.”

In relation to the green industry, Claude Laval Corp. manufactures pumps and filtration products for irrigation systems, though the company also produces filtration products on an industrial level. On that side of the company, Laval says some of the company’s oldest distributors are in India, Indonesia and Thailand, making them long-time friends in addition to colleagues.

“Our distributor in India, for instance, has been with us for 25 years,” Laval says. “With that long of a relationship, these people are our friends, so we contacted them immediately to find out where we could send donations locally and which areas would be able to put it to the best use.”

Though Laval prefers to keep the level of the company’s donation private, he notes that a portion of the funds went to the Aceh province of Indonesia – one of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami. Sadly, Laval says his distributor in Indonesia lost several family members to the tidal wave that hit the island on Dec. 26, making the donation that much more important. “People in that area of the world are often very poor to begin with, so any aid that can be sent is helpful,” he says. “Rather than go through the Red Cross or another national agency, we chose to donate to relief efforts immediately in the affected region and we have to take it on faith that our contribution will make it there and be put to the best possible use during the recovery process.”

Other irrigation-industry companies also are making donations to the tsunami relief effort, as well. At Rain for Rent, Bakersfield, Calif., Vice President Mike Grundvig notes that the company sent out a reminder to employees of its commitment to match charitable donations made by staff members.

“The company always has made charitable contributions in the past, and the matching program has been in place for about six years,” Grundvig says. “After the tsunami disaster, we sent an e-mail to our employees to remind them of the program and to suggest that they consider contributing to the tsunami relief because of the immediate need in that area.”

Grundvig says Rain for Rent has about 800 employees and that the donation program is set up to match employees’ charitable donations up to $100.

Both Claude Laval Corp. and Rain for Rent are members of the Irrigation Association. If you have news on how your company or association is contributing to the tsunami relief and rebuilding efforts, contact Lauren Spiers at lspiers@gie.net or by phone at 800/456-0707.