Coates commits to positive community impact with new foundation

The foundation will guide the company’s efforts to give back to local communities and help foster greater employee engagement

Coates is Australia’s renowned equipment hire and solutions provider, and is striving to create a positive difference with its new foundation. The mission is to continue “giving back” to communities within which the company works with clear strategy and structure. 

“Engagement with the community is at the heart of this business and has been for 136 years. For Coates, it’s not only about doing well as a business, but also doing good,” said Murray Vitlich, CEO of Coates.

Launched last month, the Coates Foundation is an essential part of the company’s Sustainability Strategy. The foundation has been established to create positive change that’s targeted, impactful and aligned with company values. 

“We want our organisation and employees to consistently learn, understand and commit to assisting with the varied and ongoing challenges that the communities we work within face by making a constructive and lasting difference,” Vitlich said.

Coates will encourage its employees to continue to be highly valued members of their local communities through employee giving and volunteering opportunities with its charity partners. 

The foundation’s national charity partners are This Is A Conversation Starter (TIACS) and Mission Australia. Existing charity work will remain, including the company’s three-year commitment to the Clontarf Foundation in supporting 120 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. 

Desire to do good is ingrained throughout the company  

A recent success story is a testament to the foundation and the Coates company culture. The local Coates team in Townsville recognised the need for greater awareness and open conversations around mental health, especially critical in remote and regional communities. 

The team took the initiative and began to wear a TradeMutt shirt to work each Friday, with the printed slogan “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. The shirts themselves are so colourful and eye-catching that their designs and important message can’t be missed. 

“Our team in Townsville took it upon themselves to tackle the subject of mental wellbeing at work in a way that made an impact, not only among our employees but also for the community and customers they work with,” Vitlich said. 

Coates will work closely with its second national charity partner Mission Australia to make the holiday season a little easier. 

Vitlich said in conjunction with the Coates Foundation launch, they would be encouraging all employees nationally to consider taking part in Mission Australia’s Christmas Appeal “by donating directly to the charity or creating Christmas hampers for distribution to Mission Australia locations across the country”. 

“We know that food hampers are a much-needed necessity and make a great difference to individuals and families who are homeless or experiencing disadvantage, especially at Christmas. We have team members in our branches who are encouraging friends and family also to be involved and distribute hampers in the lead up to Christmas,” Vitlich said. 

Mission Australia CEO James Toomey said the charity was delighted to welcome Coates as a new corporate partner. 

“Between us, we have almost 300 years of experience serving people and communities in Australia. We’re looking forward to creating an engaging program so Coates teams can contribute to Mission Australia’s work providing support and ensuring people have every opportunity to thrive, right across the country,” Toomey said.

Alongside the foundation, Coates will continue to support the charities it does each year. These include Seven Telethon, R U OK?, Westmead Children’s Hospital’s annual Christmas toy drive, and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, which donates medical equipment for children in paediatric wards, neonatal units, maternity and emergency departments in hospitals across Australia.

Learn more information about the new Coates Foundation here.