Safelite COO Joins Board of Habitat for Humanity
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Oct. 31, 2011 – Rich Harrison, senior vice president and chief operations officer at Safelite AutoGlass®, has joined the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity - Greater Columbus on September 30, 2011.
Harrison has been involved in Habitat’s ReStore, a discount home improvement store that accepts and re-sells new and reusable home improvement building materials. The store is open to the public and revenue from sales directly offsets the administrative costs of Habitat for Humanity - Greater Columbus. Habitat’s ReStore supports the mission of eliminating substandard housing and creating homeownership in Central Ohio.
Individuals, stores, businesses, general contractors, home remodeling contractors, and others regularly donate new and reusable materials from home remodeling projects, new overstock inventory, samples, scratch and dent items, and much more. ReStore volunteers also remove and salvage materials from buildings being demolished. These materials are sold to the public at a significant discount off retail prices.
Habitat’s ReStore further supports the community by annually diverting more than 1,600 tons of durable materials from the local landfill.
“Safelite’s commitment to giving back has inspired me to personally do more. Also, I want to expose my children to this charity as it is a visible and tangible way to help people and especially children,” Harrison said. “I am looking forward to getting to know the other board members and seeing how I can support Habitat for Humanity - Greater Columbus.”
Harrison has been a Columbus resident since 2007 when he joined Safelite AutoGlass® at the time of its acquisition by Belron®. Harrison has been working with Safelite’s parent company, Belron® for 18 years in a variety of U.S. and international roles. He has served in key roles during the company’s rapid expansion in the U.S. and was the U.S. CEO prior to the Safelite® acquisition.
“We are pleased to have Rich join our board of directors. His experience in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, and marketing will be a tremendous asset to our organization. As we continue to grow to build more houses and serve more families, we will count on his expertise, and that of all the members of our talented board, to advise and guide us along the way,” said E.J. Thomas, CEO, Habitat for Humanity – Greater Columbus.
About Habitat for Humanity - Greater Columbus
Habitat for Humanity - Greater Columbus is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing and making decent shelter a reality for all families. Since 1987, the Columbus affiliate has worked in partnership with a broad coalition of individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations to build and refurbish homes and improve the lives of 235 families (and counting) in Franklin County. For more information, visit www.habitatcolumbus.org.
About Safelite AutoGlass®
Safelite AutoGlass®, founded in 1947, is the nation’s leading provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services, providing mobile service to more than 95 percent of the U.S. population in all 50 states. The Columbus, Ohio-based company employs nearly 10,000 people across the United States and served 4 million customers last year. For more information, visit www.safelite.com.