November 21, 2022

In 2022, Caster Concepts has continued to align with the practices of Conscious Capitalism through efforts of giving back and making a positive impact on the Albion community: Recognizable enough to be awarded a 2022 Governor’s Service Award under Corporate Social Impact.

This award is a testament to Caster Concepts’ approach that’s centered on sustainable education, economic development, and community engagement. Here are some highlights of Caster Concept’s involvement in the community and its people through Caster Cares in the past year.

INNOVATE Albion

Kids are the future. And opportunity means everything when inspiring children to seek new heights when it comes to both learning and their futures. This is why Caster Concepts sponsors a local program that does just that: INNOVATE Albion. 

INNOVATE Albion is a teaching and training center for STEM and Robotics. They offer annual summer classes in coding, CAD (computer-aided design), programming, and more to students ranging from 2nd to 12th grade. 

In addition to classes, a program called “Girls Who Code” club is a large part of INNOVATE Albion, which aims to give girls the skills and confidence they need to pursue a career in technology. 

Caster Concepts has continued to support INNOVATE Albion in 2022 in many ways. In addition to sponsorship, Dr. Bill Dobbins, president of Caster Concepts, is a key leader in the organization.

Lloyd Park Beautification 

Lloyd Park is located along the Kalamazoo River in Albion. It’s named after Thomas Llyod, a well-known member of the Albion community. Lloyd and the founder of Caster Concepts, Richard H. Dobbins, formerly worked together at Albion Malleable Iron Company. Because of this established relationship between the two, Caster Cares has taken initiative to lead the cleanup, or beautification, of Lloyd Park this summer. 

These efforts reinforce Caster Concepts’ deep roots in the Albion community, and how they keep the connections they currently have -and the ones made in the past- alive to continuously give back. 

Swingin’ at the Shell

Swingin’ at the Shell is a Caster Cares initiative that hosts free concerts in the summer at Victory Park in Albion. Since its first series in 2004, it has hosted over 120 concerts. Swingin’ at the Shell brings the Albion community together through the shared joy that live music brings: Caster Concepts continues to be a proud leading sponsor and supporter. Some of the highlights of last summer included:

• Fleetwood Gold (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)
• CutTime Simfonica
• Diana Penning
• Simply Queen (Queen Tribute)

Economic Vitality: The Foundry and Superior Street Mercantile

Caster Concepts has contributed greatly to community engagement in Albion and has even expanded its support to the Albion economy as a whole through The Foundry and Superior Street Mercantile.

The Foundry Bakehouse and Deli was opened with the mission to provide big-city bakery quality in a small town. In addition to filling the community’s tummies with delicious pastries and lunch options, The Foundry provides jobs and supports economic growth in the city as well.

Similarly, Superior Street Mercantile is another Caster Concepts-generated storefront in Albion, which stocks its shelves with quality grocery and alcohol products, featuring a variety of local and Michigan-made items.

The goal of both of these small businesses powered by Caster Concepts is to bring quality storefronts, that are commonly seen in larger cities, home to Albion. 

Employee Care

Not only did Caster Concepts give back to the people in the community in 2022: They gave back to their own employees as well. 

In addition to things like quarterly luncheons for employees with bonuses, or gas cards for hourly employees with perfect attendance, Caster Concepts goes the extra mile to make employees feel like family. Annually on Thanksgiving, turkeys are given out to employees to take home for their families. Additionally, on Christmas, they’re given hams. 

A Good Year for All.

Overall, 2022 has proven to be a great year for community engagement, support, and improvement for Caster Concepts as far as efforts for conscious capitalism go. The Corporate Social Impact Award highlights and recognizes these company values held by Caster Concepts in its continuous growth and internal development. 

As the efforts made in 2022 continue into the new year, we look forward to what opportunities 2023 brings.