As an NVOCC, SEACORP does not own ocean vessels, trucks, or warehouses. Our small women-owned business is a service provider that facilitates movement of cargo only. Several companies in our industry are consuming packing materials, powering warehouses, and fueling trucks. At first thought, the environmental and societal impact of a small non-asset company can seem insignificant. However, everyone and every company has social responsibility, no matter how small the company, effort, or action. How has SEACORP embraced corporate social responsibility to fulfill our business goals and what impact does SEACORP have on our local community? There are many actions we have taken to make a positive impact on our world.

SEACORP Pricing and Operations Teams have been paperless for years. There is one printer in our building for community use and all other printers were recycled before COVID. We have made other efforts to install hand dryers and water fountains to reduce paper and plastic products used within the office. Most of our team now works from home, saving energy and burning less fuel in our area. This summer, SEACORP planted a garden consisting of vegetables, herbs, and wildflowers. The garden has been a great success! Our team loves to have fresh vegetables and the garden gives our team an outlet from stressful times during summer peak season.

Another part of Corporate Social Responsibility is engaging in your local community through volunteer work, support of local initiatives and promotion of happiness and justice for all. SEACORP’s Mission Statement is to stay committed to building long-term, mutually profitable and rewarding partnerships by exceeding clients’ expectations, while creating an environment of excellence in which every individual is valued. This Mission is of course directed towards our clients, but also to our staff, our neighbors, and ourselves.

I engaged several SEACORP Team Members during the process of writing this article to learn more about our team’s social contributions to our community. Two SEACORP team members participate weekly in Rotary International meetings. Rotary International is a service organization with a mission to “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.” This organization helps with many events and fundraisers in our community to raise money for student loans and Alzheimer’s research.

Another project SEACORP has participated in is the Red Sand Project. This project was started by an artist who put red sand in the cracks of the sidewalks during public events to promote awareness about human trafficking, which turned into a movement throughout the whole United States. SEACORP helps local schools in numerous ways such as donating books and school supplies to elementary schools and participating in career fairs at local elementary, middle and high schools to promote our company and industry. One SEACORP team member is a mentor for a local high school student with special needs and another is active in the Business Professional Women Lincolnton Chapter to help fund a local student scholarship program.

The SEACORP office building is also used once monthly to host the local chapter of Crime Stoppers. Our President is a member of the County Schoolboard and donates meals to a homeless shelter in our town. All these caring acts impact our local community and are the building blocks for sustainability and growth of our community in the future.

Small acts of service to your local community may seem insignificant on a global scale, but if we are all mindful of our actions and contributions to the world around us, these small acts will lead to greater impact worldwide.