The Commitment to Community

EquipmentShare employees aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty while working to improve their local community

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – On a Saturday morning, Gary Sadler and three other EquipmentShare employees gathered at their branch to do something outside their normal job duties. 

“We want to show our community that we care, and that we’re committed to being partners with them,” Sadler said.

They began an initiative aimed to build something besides physical structures: A stronger, better community. Sadler and his coworkers started picking up garbage on the road where their branch is located in the Port of Little Rock.

The Port of Little Rock is Arkansas’s largest industrial park. It spans around 5,000 acres and employs more than 8,000 people. 

“From a manufacturing standpoint, it’s a hub for incredible growth and prosperity,” Sadler said.

As a business located in the successful industrial hub, Sadler said he wanted his branch to find a way to make its mark. 

“What if we were able to donate our efforts to try to clean up the community we’re a part of?” Sadler said.

Sadler and his coworkers took action. 

“We set up quarterly dates to come out here and do a clean up,” he said. “Just to give back a little bit.”

Bryan Day, the Port of Little Rock executive director, said EquipmentShare is the first of 45 businesses to initiate an environmental clean-up program. 

“To have a company volunteer their time is such a gracious and generous gift,” Day said. “There’s never been an organized cleanup like what EquipmentShare did.”

EquipmentShare’s leadership is what Sadler said motivated him to put their plan into action. 

“Jabbok Schlacks, Willy Schlacks – they’re visionaries,” said Sadler. “They put their visions to work, and they can’t do it without people like us.”

Sadler said he hopes their efforts will grow into something bigger within the community.

“It’s something special, even if it’s just a simple trash pickup,” Sadler said. “Maybe we can set an example for other businesses.”

EquipmentShare’s clean-up initiative is something Day said will make a difference within the port.

“It will be important to the community to see the volunteer efforts and to see that somebody– one of their neighbors– is investing their time and energy into making the port a better place,” said Day.

Even as a small act of service to the community, Sadler said he hopes their initiative sets an example for other businesses in the port to follow. 

“Let it bleed out. Let it be an example for others,” Sadler said. “We’re committed to giving back to our community here in Little Rock, and we hope others are, as well.”