Manheim Detroit’s commitment to environmental protection efforts now includes a donation to a local water-related organization. The $12,500 donation was made to Lake Erie Waterkeeper, an organization that helps maintain Lake Erie’s waters via education, advocacy, outreach and collaboration.

The Manheim location also participates in the Cox Conserves Chairman’s Cup, an internal company program that recognizes Cox field locations for sustainable business practices. Manheim Detroit was one of 78 locations in North America recognized for its green efforts.

“It is an amazing honor to have been selected for this award by our parent company,” said Mandy Savage, Manheim Detroit’s general manager. “Our team here is truly humbled and appreciative of this award. We have partnered with Cox Enterprises on multiple projects this past year to help lessen our impact on the environment. These projects have also allowed our employees to give back to the community.”

According to Manheim Detroit, some of these projects include the following:

• Developed a Conservation Committee last year that created a plan to implement both recycling and volunteer programs to help make the auction greener and increase community involvement.  The committee, chaired by Manheim Detroit controller Diana Ohanesian, meets quarterly to develop new ideas to make the location more environmentally friendly, discuss volunteer projects and provide updates to ongoing projects.
• Initiated a “Bring Your Cup to Work” campaign that helped to offset the 50,000 Styrofoam cups ordered annually.
• Launched a used pen and pencil collection drive which provided 6,000 pens and pencils to local schools. Employees collected the pens and pencils from vehicles being consigned at the auction, and the donations were spearheaded by employee Peter Hartner.
• Volunteered to clean up the grounds and areas around the Carleton, Mich., location and the facility’s separate Flat Rock operation in celebration of Arbor Day. More than 100 employees spent over three hours collecting 130 bags of trash and planting flowers to support local conservation efforts.
• Developed a partnership with neighboring Guardian Industries to reduce carbon footprint and help beautify the community. 

Sandy Bihn, the executive director of Lake Erie Waterkeeper, is thankful for the donation from the company and appreciates the opportunity to spread awareness for the vital waters her organization fights to protect.

“We’re excited to receive this contribution from Manheim Detroit and Cox Enterprises,” Bihn said. “This donation will be instrumental in our efforts to keep Lake Erie clean and protect this great lake’s waterways. Lake Erie has an 872-mile shoreline that stretches along the shores of five states, including Michigan, and is the source of drinking water for 11 million people. Lake Erie is being threatened by growing algae blooms, invasive fish like Asian Carp, water withdrawals and water level changes and climate change, so it’s our mission to keep the lake clean and protect our environment.”