The Gift of Doing Good

With over a century of experience, Louis Allis specializes in manufacturing industrial electric motors for some of the most demanding applications in the world. Also, under the direction of their president and CEO, Bruce Bailey, Louis Allis employees participate in a variety of philanthropic and charitable causes through a mix of financial donations and service hours every year. As the holiday season approaches, Mr. Bailey took time to share some of his thoughts on giving in general and the specific humanitarian crisis facing refugees in the Syrian conflict. He can be reached at bbailey@louisallis.com. More information about Louis Allis, their products, and their philanthropy can be found at www.louisallis.com.

Modern Pumping Today: For people unfamiliar with the details of the Syrian refugees’ plight, what would you most want them to understand?
Bruce Bailey: It is important to understand the scale of the problem. There are over 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon alone, and 6.5 million displaced internally. This is a protracted crisis, and refugees have depleted savings and cannot afford rent, food, heating fuel, and have little access to education or health care. The majority live in unfinished buildings and informal tents and huts—many of which are in poor repair and have poor drainage and, thus, are susceptible to flooding and the cold. This is the worst global crisis of our age after the genocide in Rwanda.

MPT: With wide-ranging experience in the water and wastewater fields, how can Louis Allis and similar companies effect the most change where their skills and expertise are needed?
Bruce Bailey: Unless you see the need first hand it’s hard to wrap your mind around just how bad the refugee crisis really is. You cannot imagine living in a tent with three feet of snow on the ground, no running water, no bathrooms, and dirt for floors. Tents are susceptible to flooding and leakage, and settlements have poor drainage and wastewater disposal options.
Also, hundreds of thousands of children were left without education for the last three years, and the ones who still have parents spend their days either begging or hanging around in the camps vulnerable to terrorists’ recruitment. Funding to improve shelters specially now—when winter is approaching—would be most effective. The number one request coming from adult refugees is funding to expand educational efforts. We currently are working toward a school for three hundred children and with plans to expand to two thousand.

MPT: Where do you see the role of “giving back” for people in your industry? What are some ways you integrate this within your corporate culture?

Bruce Bailey: There is no greater joy to be found in this life than helping the orphans, widows, and people living in utter poverty. As the saying goes, it is truly better to give than to receive.
We see giving back as our social responsibility. It’s not really a choice for us it’s who we are. But by the grace of God, any one of us could have easily been born into one of these countries like Syria, Iraq, and Iran where people are in dire need.
We have been blessed with as many resources in this country compared to the rest of the world. There are huge needs in the refugee camps for fresh water and waste disposal. We have the solutions, so all we have to do is deploy assets. ■