“From the very first opportunity, we asked who would like to volunteer with us,” Galante recalls. “We had 90% of the people saying they were willing to participate and wanted to help out.”
“Making a Big Difference in Northern Illinois,” published in the April 2015 edition of The Current
Custom battery pack manufacturer, Zeus Battery, was started in December 2001. Headquartered in Bloomingdale, Ill., ZEUS offers a complete selection of replacement batteries, chargers, and power accessories–for a wide range of application solutions including complex medical, military, industrial, mobility, emergency lighting and security applications.
“We range from between 35-50 employees here in our Illinois facility that comprise our proto-typing short run, assembly and quality control, and our sales teams,” said Gina Galante, Zeus’ business development manager.
Zeus may have a small workforce but they have a huge heart. And, the impact they have in their community has been incredible. “All Zeus Battery charitable efforts have been very organic, responding to community needs as they’re brought to our attention, either by local residents, clients or employees,” commented Cris Lauer, Zeus’ Marketing and Community Relations consultant.
According to Galante, recycling and keeping batteries out of landfills is an important part of their outreach. During the past three years, Zeus has participated in Earth Day events hosted by the Bartlett and Carol Stream Park Districts. Employees participate in battery collection, greeting visitors and answering questions about battery recycling.
Galante recalls this story. A lady stopped in and I overheard her talking to one of our customer service reps. I guess her son and found us online or through social media and had his collection at home. He asked his mom to please not throw them in the trash to take them to Zeus. So she did, I think she may have even taken a picture to show her son that she actually brought them in for recycling.
The team at Zeus also volunteers on an annual basis with the Northern Illinois Food Bank (pictured above), an organization that provides food for hungry people across 13 Illinois counties. Everyone gets together and as a company they go to the food bank’s location in Geneva, Ill. They spend the day preparing or packing different products that they need to distribute to the local food banks in and around the area. Last November, the team packed 11,000 pounds of food that provided 9,166 meals.
How do they do it?
Galante says it’s a team effort. “From the very first opportunity, we asked who would like to volunteer with us,” she recalls. “We had 90% of the people saying they were willing to participate and wanted to help out. With it being local too – everyone may know someone that may benefit. It really helps everyone around us and just being able to take that time together and being able to make a big impact. I think that most people are open to that.”
“For a small company to be that responsive to the community and not consumed with operations,” Lauer said. “That’s pretty great.”