Corporate Social Responsibility

BMW Manufacturing Co. associates traded in hardhats and mechanical tools for seeds and dirty fingernails.

With roots in Spartanburg, AFL workers joined their company in supporting a LEGO League program at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate.

Those are just a couple of examples of corporate social responsibility, which has become something of a necessity at many major companies over the last several years.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the practice of employers affecting social, cultural and economic change for the better. With some of the cornerstone companies of Spartanburg County - places that employ hundreds, if not thousands of workers - CSR programs have become a growing focus aimed at specific areas, some of which are connected to the employers themselves.

“There are many benefits to having a strong CSR program. Chief among them is our ability to effect positive social and economic change. In doing so, we bring economic benefit not only to our company but to the entire Upstate region and the state of South Carolina,” said Max Metcalf, manager of government and community relations at BMW Manufacturing. “At BMW Manufacturing, we view ourselves as more than an automotive manufacturer. Corporate citizenship is part of our company DNA, and we are committed to doing our part to ensure the Upstate remains a great place to live, work and play.”

The story, and motivations, are similar at other large companies in Spartanburg County and beyond.

AFL, a Spartanburg-based telecommunications company, has focused on supporting environmental sustainability through specific short-and long-term goals at each of the company’s manufacturing sites.

Corie Culp, AFL’s community and public relations manager, said the company works with customers to ensure minerals used in AFL’s products aren’t sourced from conflict zones around the world.
With operations in seven countries, AFL has also worked to cut its environmental footprint in recent years. The company has cut its global electricity use by 14 percent, its natural gas consumption by 42 percent and its water use by 11 percent in the past 15 years.

“Over the years, it has become more important to reach out beyond our walls to be in community with other businesses, organizations and community leaders,” Culp said. “As partners, we are able to do so much more.”

Since BMW’s Spartanburg County plant came online in 1992, the company has worked to support educational, cultural and civic programs across the Upstate. Dozens of organizations have benefited from the annual BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament.

Between 1997 and 2017, BMW Manufacturing generated a total of $36 million in corporate giving. The BMW Pro-Am alone has generated more than $12 million for Upstate nonprofit organizations since its founding.

Last year, BMW Manufacturing associates came together to build a house in collaboration with both the Spartanburg and Greenville chapters of Habitat for Humanity.

“BMW Manufacturing associates also planted trees at a Greer elementary school in partnership with a local conservation organization,” said Metcalf. “We have numerous associates actively in involved in United Way of the Piedmont programs and are excited to see this engagement continue to grow.”

At Toray Industries, more than 15,000 people have been aided through support of nonprofit organizations near Toray facilities, including the plant along Moore-Duncan Highway.

Toray has particularly focused on water and environmental research and other science and technology promotion efforts.

“Toray is guided by the corporate philosophy of ‘contributing to society through the creation of new value with innovative ideas, technologies and products,’ ” said Robin Boies, human resources and general affairs manager at Toray’s Spartanburg County plant. “Through this corporate philosophy, it is very important and meaningful that we are actively engaged in fulfilling our CSR.”

Both BMW Manufacturing and AFL have also worked to support science and technology-related efforts.
BMW typically works to support organizations in four categories: science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, sustainability, road safety and cultural engagement.

AFL awarded $3,500 in grants to the Children’s Museum of the Upstate to support its LEGO League program, exposing students to more STEM education. The company also awarded $10,000 to the Spartanburg YMCA for its summer camp for children and cancer survivorship program.


“We are stepping up, sharing knowledge, giving back, striving for more. It all strengthens our community,” Culp said. “As the Upstate attracts new businesses to the area, they need to know that the Upstate is filled with companies that support one another, that are willing to make a difference in the community by giving financially and with employee resources, that we care about the environment and the impact we are making.”

Metcalf said more than 10,000 people from across the Upstate and beyond work at BMW Manufacturing, and it’s imperative for one of the region’s largest employers to do its part for the betterment of the Upstate.

“Over the years, I think CSR has gone from being a nicety to a necessity. Companies have come to recognize the many benefits a strong CSR program can offer when they are successful at effecting positive social and economic change in their communities,” Metcalf said. “There are so many worthwhile efforts going on right now, like the Spartanburg Academic Movement, Northside Development and OneSpartanburg, which allow us to partner with other companies, individuals and organizations to serve as a catalyst for change.”