One of the world’s largest automakers and a global supplier in automotive and building-control technology are partnering together for the first time to revitalize a home in Washtenaw County.

Toyota and Johnson Controls have teamed up to renovate a foreclosed home in the Nancy Park neighborhood in Ypsilanti Township.

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“We’re proud to bring the CLC program back to Detroit,” said Charles A. Harvey, vice president of diversity and public affairs for Johnson Controls. “With the addition of a professional development day, it is our intent to show the students first-hand how they can turn their experience and enthusiasm for sustainability and environmental conservation into rewarding careers.”

The Detroit CLC program kicked off this week with the students gaining hands-on experience in environmental conservation. Over the course of the six-week program, the students will participate in a variety of projects, including native planting, new trail development and maintenance, outdoor classroom and native timber bench construction, removing invasive species and garden installation. Rouge Park, Belle Isle, Chalfonte Farmway and W.E.B. Du Bois High School are among the locations throughout the city where the student crews will work. The students will also receive job readiness skills instruction, including help with resume writing, interview skills and personal finance management.

Corps members were selected from hundreds of candidates based on their application and ability to successfully complete a three-step, month-long tryout process. Student candidates were evaluated based on work ethic, leadership ability, civic engagement and commitment to the environment.

New this year, the students will be participating in a professional development day, hosted by Johnson Controls’ automotive interiors business in Plymouth, Mich. Johnson Controls employee volunteers will provide CLC students with a professional development learning experience, which includes career-focused information from each of the company’s core businesses – Automotive Experience, Building Efficiency and Power Solutions. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of sustainability, energy efficiency and renewable resources in the fields of automotive interior design and engineering, building efficiency and hybrid battery technology.

Also for the first time, Johnson Controls employees will have the opportunity to learn a bit from the students as they take a day to work in the field alongside the CLC teams.

Additional support for the program is being provided by: Amtrak; the City of Detroit Community Development Block Grant and Neighborhood Opportunity Fund programs; the City of Detroit Workforce Development Department; City Connect Detroit; the Skillman Foundation; the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth; Michigan Works! Association; and SAP Americas.

Employees at the Johnson Controls’ Unitary Products manufacturing plant in Norman recently donated $7,190 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma from money raised during a silent auction of York, Coleman and Luxaire air-conditioning equipment.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

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Want to get wowed?  Check out Johnson Controls’ Global Reporting Initiative report – and its more than 500 supporting documents.  Talk about information overload!

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The matrix complements the company’s 2009 Business and Sustainability Report, which was released in December 2009 and is available in six languages. The GRI reporting framework provides companies with a uniform and transparent set of metrics to systematically report on sustainability initiatives and results.

The matrix offers a quick, easily accessible database of the company’s results in 2009 across a broad range of topics.  Highlights include:

• Financial performance for fiscal year 2009
• Metrics and information on the impact of the company’s business activities on the environment and society
• Details of the company’s partnerships with key organizations including the Carbon Disclosure Project, the Student Conservation Association and the United Nations Global Compact

 ”Since the foundation of our company 125 years ago, Johnson Controls has offered products and services to help make our customers’ businesses and operations more sustainable,” said Charles A. Harvey, vice president of Diversity and Public Affairs. “We focus on our own environmental performance and community programs with the same discipline we apply to working with customers. The GRI matrix clearly communicates our current initiatives in all these areas, as well as our long-term commitment to sustainability.”

In February, Institutional Investor Magazine cited Johnson Controls as America’s Most Shareholder-Friendly Company in the category of consumer – autos and auto parts. The company was also recognized for the third consecutive year with SAM’s highest Gold Class sustainability rating in the auto parts and tires category. In March, Corporate Responsibility magazine ranked Johnson Controls 22nd among the 100 Best Corporate Citizens in the United States.

The company’s commitment to sustainability has earned it industry and community recognition around the world. It is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index and World Index, the Domini 400 Social Index, KLD Global Climate 100 Index, the FTSE4Good Index Series, the Calvert Social Index and the Maplecroft Bloomberg Climate Innovation Index.    

To view the GRI matrix and the 2009 Business and Sustainability Report, please visit www.johnsoncontrols.com/sustainability.

Steve Roell, CEO of Johnson Controls presented UNCF – the United Negro College Fund – a $100,000 contribution in support of the UNCF Wisconsin Student Aid Program. The Program targets entering freshmen as well as upperclassmen enrolled in UNCF schools, who continue to have a financial need even after Pell grants, scholarships, work-study aid and family contributions have been applied to students’ accounts. Often an award of $2,000 – $3,000 can be the difference between a student making the journey to college or having to defer their dream.

Read more in the Milwaukee Courier. Submit your comments below.

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“Johnson Controls’ promotion of a sound ethical environment shines within its industry and shows a clear understanding that operating under the highest standards for business behavior goes beyond goodwill and “lip-service” and is intimately linked to performance and profitability,” said Alex Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute. “This year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies award was more competitive than ever, because companies realize that making ethics a priority is critical amidst a tough economic environment.”

This is the fourth year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the rankings.

The methodology for the World’s Most Ethical Companies ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers. Ethisphere reviewed thousands of nominations from companies in over 100 countries and 36 industries in order to determine the winners.  

The research-based Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti corruption and sustainability. The Institute’s associated membership group, the Ethisphere Council, is a forum for business ethics that includes over 200 leading corporations, universities and institutions. The Ethisphere Council is dedicated to the development and advancement of individuals on its membership council through increased efficiency, innovation, tools, mentoring, advice, and unique career opportunities. Ethisphere magazine, which publishes the globally recognized World’s Most Ethical Companies Ranking™, is the quarterly publication of the Institute. More information on the Ethisphere Institute, including ranking projects and membership, can be found at http://www.ethisphere.com/.

A classic example of the International style of architecture, the Johnson Controls Corporate Headquarters in Glendale is in the process of becoming the world’s most sustainable campus.

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Imagine an investment announcement that the manufacturing company ranking No. 58 on the Fortune 500 list was bringing to San Antonio about 1,000 jobs, investing hundreds of millions of dollars and producing not one but all three of its product lines here, generating sales in the billions of dollars a year.

It happened, only very quietly and in stages over the past 15 years.

The company is Johnson Controls Inc., based in Milwaukee.

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Johnson Controls Inc. and Wisconsin Energy Corp. are the Wisconsin companies represented on the 11th annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List compiled by Corporate Responsibility Magazine.

Glendale-based Johnson Controls ranked 22nd, and Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Energy ranked 47th.

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