Rebuilding communities

CASE, a global construction brand of CNH Industrial, is now in its fourth year of partnership with Team Rubicon, a disaster response organization with more than 100,000 volunteers — of which more than 70 percent are military veterans. When disaster strikes, Team Rubicon assesses and then targets areas where people are most in need – it has supported communities affected by over 350 disasters across the world since 2010.

​​The partnership: a natural fit

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​CASE’s heavy disaster-relief equipment can help rebuild communities after emergencies such as floods, fires and hurricanes. In addition to supplying equipment, CASE has been a primary partner in the training and certification of Team Rubicon’s operators and instructors. Certified Team Rubicon instructors subsequently train its volunteers through a formal curriculum that teaches valuable skills which can translate from disaster response to a new potential career path. To reduce risks, training takes place in a controlled environment rather than in the disaster zones themselves.

“Our partnership with CASE has had a tremendous positive impact on our mission and our volunteers’ ability to effectively support communities in the wake of disasters,” said Matt Colvin, Head of Partnerships at Team Rubicon. “Whenever we have CASE equipment on the ground at a disaster site, we’re able to get more work done, faster. That translates into getting more families back on their feet and on the road to recovery and rebuilding sooner. CASE’s on-going support is a glowing example of how strong partnerships can be force multipliers that empower Team Rubicon to carry out its disaster response mission more efficiently and effectively – ultimately allowing us to serve more people in need.”

CNH Industrial strives to support the communities in which it operates. CASE employees and staff working for its distributors also get a great sense of fulfillment and personal satisfaction when they volunteer for Team Rubicon initiatives.​​

​​Hurricane Michael requires largest heavy equipment response to date

​When Hurricane Michael hit the gulf coast of the U.S.A., it destroyed much of Mexico Beach, Florida and the surrounding communities. CASE routed equipment to Mexico Beach immediately, and “The Beast”, a Team Rubicon-branded CASE skid steer was among one of the first pieces of equipment on the ground performing route clearance activities. CASE also provided excavators for the continued cleanup efforts, which went on for four months. This operation saw more than 55 trained volunteers complete more than 52 home demolitions, with more than 1.5 million cubic yards of debris removed — all at no cost to the homeowners. Team Rubicon also used this as a training opportunity, expanding its heavy equipment operator’s cadre by 32.

Support in the wake of wildfires

​After wildfires in California, U.S.A., burned more than 23,000 acres between Orange and Riverside Counties in mid-September 2018, heavy rainfall caused mudslides filled with granite and sand, severely damaging homes in the Robin Hood Oaks community in Lake Elsinore, Southern California.

"Team Rubicon launched an operation to clear debris from the local creek to alleviate ongoing flood risks and further damage to homes in the area. CASE and its distributor Sonsray Machinery supported Team Rubicon by donating the use of a CX80C excavator."  

Supporting Team Rubicon and projects such as the operation in Lake Elsinore, California is a great way for CASE and our dealers like Sonsray Machinery to help the communities we serve,” says Michel Marchand, vice president – North America, CASE.

​​Rebuilding a military veteran’s home

The home of army veteran Earl Bishop and his wife Elizabeth in Immokalee, Florida, U.S.A., sustained substantial physical and flood damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017. When the Bishops realized the money provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would not be enough to make their home livable, Team Rubicon and the Salvation Army stepped in to rebuild the home – at no cost to the Bishops – as part of Team Rubicon’s Florida Rebuild operation.

The two agencies removed and replaced all the flooring, demolished the bathroom and kitchen, and started rebuilding the house over the course of two months. CASE dealer Trekker Group donated the use of a CASE SV185 skid-steer loader to complete grading and materials handling on the site, and the Bishops returned to their home on March 5, 2019 – 18 months after it was virtually destroyed by Hurricane Irma.

“Our partnership with Team Rubicon allows us to help rebuild communities after natural disasters, and the Bishop family home rebuild is a perfect example,” says Marchand. “Local CASE dealer Trekker Group stepped up to the plate by donating the use of an SV185 skid steer that played a major role in supporting this latest mission.”​​

Clearing mudslides after record rainfall

After record rainfall hit Polk County, North Carolina, U.S.A., in July 2018, mudslides affected numerous properties and shifted a stream off its course. CASE dealer Hills Machinery stepped in to assist Team Rubicon with a compact track loader and excavator to reroute the stream within its original banks and help with the clean-up during the operation.

“One of the homeowners told Team Rubicon volunteers that the work performed on his property made it feel like home again for the first time since the rain and mudslides hit,” says Marchand. “That’s ultimately why we do this.”

A sense of achievement

Although the primary objective of the Company’s partnership with Team Rubicon is to offer relevant machinery to help communities, there is also a benefit to CASE employees, who enjoy participating in such meaningful projects.

“CNH Industrial employees not only have a positive impact on the local communities where they volunteer, but they also get a huge amount of personal satisfaction by helping fellow community members in need,” says Michelle Javaherian, Community Relations Specialist, CNH Industrial, North America. “Supporting the communities in which we operate is a very important part of our Company philosophy.”

Through its support of Team Rubicon, CNH Industrial and CASE are able to deliver concrete support to those in need whilst providing valuable upskilling opportunities to volunteers and inspiring CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities for employees.