The Whalen Company Investing in Affordable Home Ownership

The Whalen Company is investing in affordable home ownership in Talbot County through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity Choptank. Established in 1962 and headquartered in Easton, The Whalen Company is one of America’s most innovative leaders in the commercial heating and air conditioning industry.

While working with clients around the United States, family, friends and neighborhoods in this community are important to The Whalen Company. With a team of over a one hundred and thirty employees and counting as the company is currently expanding, value is placed on having the right individuals in place at the right time with the right skills in order to achieve the company mission.

The Whalen Company has renewed its investment in affordable housing with a corporate sponsorship gift to Habitat Choptank. From L-R: Chris Murphy, Chief Financial Officer, Nancy Andrew, executive director Habitat Choptank, Katie Levitan, Human Resources Administrator, Craig Wanner, President & CEO, J.C. Correa, Vice President of Manufacturing, Dennis Kloster, Vice President of Operations and Michael Colletti, Vice President of Engineering.

Recognizing the importance of affordable home ownership for both it’s employees and the community at large, The Whalen Company has generously renewed its contribution for Habitat’s corporate giving program. “Part of living our core values as a company is being a good neighbor,” says Craig Wanner, President. “With this being our home, we want to give back to the people and places around us.” The idea to partner with Habitat came through one of Whalen’s employee’s, Cecilia Chavez, who in 2016 purchased her first home with an affordable mortgage through Habitat’s home ownership program. Currently, a second employee been approved for the program and is working toward the same objective.

Since July 1, 2015, Habitat Choptank has been moving forward with a new strategic plan to expand its mission. The plan, which was developed over a period of two years with input from over 100 citizens, recognizes that quality, energy efficient, affordable housing is a fundamental matter for residents and for neighborhoods. It will run through 2019 and is aimed at expanding the organization’s impact through increased home production. The goal is to grow from four homes built or rehabbed a year to eight.

“Increasing our annual home production means increasing every resource: more volunteers, home buyers, land, and funding,” explains Nancy Andrew, development officer for Habitat Choptank. The nonprofit home builder has launched a corporate sponsor program in order to give business partners a way to actively participate in the Habitat mission and be recognized for their investment in this revitalization work around the Choptank region. Benefits of corporate sponsorship include alignment with a strong, trusted non-profit brand, recognition in marketing materials and on construction sites, employee team building opportunities with volunteer build days, and participation in home dedications and other key Habitat events.

“Partnering with Habitat Choptank gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to our employees and the community we call home,” explains Wanner. “Through employee build days, home buyer recruitment workshops, and other Habitat events, we are encouraging our team members to set new goals while connecting with their colleagues.” Company build days on the construction sites have enabled employees to use their talents and time outside of the workplace to help build sustainable homes and more stable neighborhoods.

For information about The Whalen Company, visit www.whalencompany.com. To learn more about Habitat Choptank’s corporate sponsor program, to inquire about buying a home, to volunteer with Habitat Choptank or to make a donation, visit www.habitatchoptank.org or call 410-476-3204.