The goBeyondProfit 2022 Champion Award highlights companies that support communities.
Peachtree Corners-based Herschend Enterprises was recently honored by goBeyondProfit, a first-of-its-kind business leader initiative that highlights corporate generosity. The 70-year-old entertainment business and its CEO, Andrew Wexler, were nominated and selected for the goBeyondProfit champion award for 2022. Past award winners include Gas South, Creature Comforts Brewing, H.J. Russell & Company, Aflac, W&A Engineering and Cox Enterprises.
Herschend Enterprises was called out for this award by fellow Georgia business leaders because of its exemplary generous work to improve the lives of others.
Herschend Enterprises, which owns venues and organizations such as Silver Dollar City, Dollywood Parks and Resorts and the Harlem Globetrotters, was nominated for its business and community focus called “Leading with Love – a core principle for decision-making in good times and bad.
Its noted works include:
Silver Dollar City’s Care for Kids, a program that coordinates with public schools to provide necessities for kids, such as school supplies, food and coats, as well as vision, medical and dental care.
The Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, which was created with teachers to help increase literacy by providing books for children ages one to five. The program now reaches 10% of every child born in the nation.
The Harlem Globetrotters, an iconic organization that focuses on volunteer time spent visiting children in hospitals, US troops overseas, assisting in disaster relief and spreading joy to kids.
Herschend also cares for its employees with its new Herschend GROW U. program, which provides all US-based employees with 100% free tuition, including books, fees and supplies for more than 100 degree, diploma and certification programs — starting at day one of employment.
The company also maintained health insurance for all furloughed employees during the pandemic despite no revenue earned.
“Love is demonstrated in what you do for others and there may be no better business example of love in action than Herschend Enterprises and its CEO, Andrew Wexler,” said Megan McCamey, President of goBeyondProfit. “At goBeyondProfit, we are eager to raise up exceptional companies that show this generosity mindset that not only prioritizes community needs but is central to guiding business decisions inside the company.”
Wexler offered constructive insights for other Georgia business leaders on how to show love for others — including employees. For example, Wexler discussed how to make core business values consistent across an organization through defined language, clear expectations and a purposeful structure that ensures all 11,000-plus employees understand and can align around the values.
“Our team really believes in leading with love and they act on it,” Wexler said. “This idea of love in action — treating people with respect, dignity, taking care of each other — that’s how we take this timeless concept of love and operationalize it in our day-to-day business.”
Watch a video about the award at https://www.hfecorp.com/whats-new/.
