It's All About Family

As a CNC machine tool builder, we at Okuma America live in a technical world. But there’s a personal side to us that makes us more like family. Our family includes co-workers, partners, distributors, and customers. We also consider the community “where we live” as an important part of our family. For a family to be healthy, prosper and grow, it takes some nurturing. With that in mind, Okuma works in partnership with several local non-profit organizations here in the Charlotte, NC area to support their good works. In alignment with our corporate values, Okuma America Corporation encourages employee participation and recognizes the importance of building a stronger community for our future.

Three Special Causes

Currently our efforts are focused on three very deserving non-profits, whose causes are close to our hearts: the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas, and Operation Homefront. You can learn more about these worthy causes on our Community Involvement page. Currently we’re involved in a drive toward a big goal for JDRF, and you can participate too.

JDRF Makes a Difference

Okuma proudly supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), a non-profit organization whose mission it is to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. More than 80 cents out of every dollar raised is used for research and development. In 2012 Okuma was the sixth ranked company amongst JDRF Greater Western Carolinas Chapter’s corporate fundraising teams.

We’ve learned a lot from Okuma’s JDRF “Ambassador,” Luke M. Luke is 9 years old and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) 4 years ago. Luke comes out to visit with us and shares his experiences (over 1,000 needles in 6 months) to help educate our fundraising team. It’s exciting for us to hear about positive developments such as the insulin pump and artificial pancreas, which allow those with T1D to live a more normal life.

Join Our Cause! Support Us by April 27, 2013

Okuma will once again be participating in the Charlotte “Walk to Cure Diabetes.” If you’d like to support our team and our efforts on behalf of JDRF, you can donate by visiting our team's participation site . We invite all our friends, business partners, and customers to help us reach our goal of raising $10,000 by April 27, 2013 by making a donation today. Over 100 Okuma members and their families will be walking on April 27 to show their passion and commitment to the JDRF mission.

Our community involvement helps employees feel a deeply meaningful connection to the world and proud of where they work. It’s not just about a donation. Our employees have fun raising money for these organizations and learning about the progress being made as a result of their hard work and dedication. Truly the reward is ours in the work we do in our community, and we’ll continue to play our part to ensure that progress continues.

Denise Wilson is Human Resources Manager, Okuma America Corporation