Corporate community partners give back to Conroe during holiday season

Akin to a multi-outlet extension cord powering a display of magnificent holiday lights, diverse strands of Conroe’s business community have come together to brighten the city in which they live and work. From toy collections to food drives to event sponsorships, area companies made it a point to engage in community giving to conclude 2024.

“Doing this, our company becomes more than just a place to come to work; it’s vital to the community and to people’s lives,” J.B. Cheatham, General Manager of Minco Machine and Clad Welding, explained. Based in Conroe since 1978, Minco caters to oil and gas infrastructure by manufacturing custom precision equipment. However, Cheatham says he and his team have a desire to do more than merely meet customers’ needs. 

Driven by a desire to provide a critical service and support to the fastest growing population in Minco’s community, Cheatham charged his creative and talented employees to decorate paper breakfast bags to distribute to local food-insecure seniors through Meals on Wheels Montgomery County. With the help of family members and neighbors, Minco’s staff of 24 employees provided 200 breakfast bags adorned with positive messages, jokes and drawings to Meals on Wheels.

“It brings smiles to everyone's faces, improves morale and makes us realize this little bit of effort from us can be really big to somebody's daily life,” Cheatham said. “Sometimes it's more than balance sheets and financial statements. There’s a bigger, holistic picture out there and that’s what really grabbed our heart strings on this project.”

Minco had company from other local companies in providing much needed assistance to their neighbors facing hunger. Employees of McKesson Pharmaceutical Solutions and Services again organized a food drive at their distribution center. Supporting the Montgomery County Food Bank’s Holiday Helpings Food and Funds Drive, McKesson employees filled an entire vehicle with non-perishable food items to donate. 

McKesson’s food drive is an annual event at its Conroe facility. LINEV Systems US, Inc., provider of class-leading X-ray technology, also proudly supports the Montgomery County Food Bank on a yearly basis. 

In each of the past four years, LINEV employees have proudly collected food and monetary donations for the Food Bank. Noting how the cause is incredibly close to their hearts, LINEV is tracking toward its best year yet in regard to collections. The Conroe-headquartered company expects to surpass last year’s 176-pound donation and 2022’s efforts which saw LINEV contribute hundreds of dollars in addition to 371 pounds of food. The need for food assistance in Montgomery County is at an all-time high so contributions through this Holiday Helpings Food and Funds Drive are more critical than ever. 

“This drive embodies the spirit of the season, bringing our community together to ensure no resident of Montgomery County goes hungry,” said Kristine Marlow, President and CEO of Montgomery County Food Bank. “Through the generosity of our partners, volunteers, and donors, this initiative turns compassion into action, transforming lives one meal at a time.” 

Locally based companies like VGXI, Inc. and Hiland Dairy are also committed to making a difference during the holiday season. Hiland Dairy, producing an impressive 5,200,000 gallons of milk each month via its Conroe facility, served as the main sponsor of both the Conroe Tree Lighting and Toby Powell Conroe Christmas Celebration. VGXI, which provides high quality products to biomedical researchers worldwide, conducted a toy exchange/toy drive for the 23rd consecutive year with all items being donated to the Montgomery County Women’s Shelter.

“The many fashions in which companies annually champion community giving showcases how engaged businesses are here in Conroe,” said Laura Lea Palmer, Assistant Director of Economic Development. “When companies choose to come to Conroe, they become community partners and yield positive results – and not solely through capital and employment opportunities.”

A city lacking local support while seeking economic growth would be like an eight-foot blow-up snowman without any air to inflate it. That’s not the case in Conroe, where the city is a better place to work and live because of the way its corporate community gives back – pumping up the joy of the Holiday Season.