TAC – The Abilities Connection (also known as TAC Industries) has been selected as a finalist for a Dayton & Miami Valley Better Business Bureau 2018 Eclipse Integrity Award.
TAC is a finalist for the second year in a row in the category of nonprofits with 75+ employees.
CEO Mary Brandstetter said that being named a finalist again this year is an honor, but a win would be even better. “We do very important work here at TAC,” she said.
“I’m proud of our staff and dedicated board members, and I am especially proud of the developmentally disabled individuals who come to us every day for meaningful employment, training, recreation and care,” said Brandstetter.
BBB Eclipse Integrity Award winners must demonstrate their exemplary commitment to high ethical standards in seven areas: excellence in programs, fiscal stewardship, operating with integrity, ethical leadership, building a strong team, communication, and collaborations and partnerships. The process is meant to evaluate an organization’s impact, relevance and overall health in its community and among the people it serves.
BBB President & CEO John North said that integrity does not necessarily come naturally in business. “Integrity is instilled in the leadership of an organization and is inspired in their team,” he said. “Being a finalist for the Integrity Award recognizes that integrity is at work within the walls of your organization every single day.”
TAC – The Abilities Connection is a unique nonprofit organization with a long history of providing employment, training, and care for people with disabilities. TAC employees 120 staff members and serves nearly 300 individuals with disabilities.
People with disabilities who come to TAC have opportunities they may not have otherwise: they learn basic job and life skills, interact with people, enjoy leisure activities, and actively participate in community life.
“This recognition is important to TAC because we’re a complex organization; not everyone understands who we are, what we do, and why we do it,” said CEO Mary Brandstetter. “We’re not just a day care facility for people with disabilities; we’re an employer for hundreds of people who enjoy meaningful work and a paycheck. We are not just a workshop; we provide training, life skills, socialization, a sense of responsibility and a happy community. Our roots go deep: sixty-five years of exemplary service to people with disabilities. Our founders sought a place for their children in the community, and we seek to stay true to their mission,” she said.
TAC is an important business partner with a number of local businesses, including Rittal, Cascade Corporation, Trutec, and Sweet Manufacturing. Individuals in the business operations part of TAC engage in part-setting, packaging, assembly, metal fabrication, concrete casting, and cutting/sewing services. TAC also supplies lettuce, greens and herbs via The TAC Farms hydroponic greenhouse operation, and supplies industrial rags to several local businesses.