WHEN THE late Kenneth “Kenny” Cooper opened his first shop with two employees, his dream was simply to make a better life for his wife, Faye, and two sons, Gary and Barry. He had no idea the impact that he — and that decision made in faith — would have on his family and so many employees to come. Now, more than 60 years later, as they’ve risen to the status of a top contender in the steel industry, Cooper Steel continues to put families first.
“Cooper Steel prides itself on being the place where employees feel like family, and those employees’ own families extend outside the walls of our facilities into this community. A couple years ago, we decided to focus our future investments in areas that we believed would have the greatest impact: education and responsible community planning,” said Gary Cooper, Cooper Steel’s chief executive officer.
The overall goals of Cooper Steel-sponsored programs are to:
– Help children succeed through literacy and mentorship initiatives throughout their school careers.
– Promote community service in older students.
– Help drive community improvements that will provide both career and recreational opportunities for local families after graduation.
Their team has worked diligently with educators to develop several local programs as part of their mission to enhance the educational opportunities for the children of Shelbyville and Bedford County. One such program, the Cooper Steel Reading Program, encourages students in five local elementary schools to read or be read to by rewarding them with a new pair of name-brand tennis shoes when they reach 1,000 minutes and another special reward when they reach 4,000 minutes.
The Cooper Steel Twelve/Twelve Legacy Program is a 12-month/12-year mentorship program that pairs groups of students from high school clubs, teams, and other school organizations with local elementary schools. Visits from the older students include leading sports activities, reading, tutoring, and other forms of encouragement throughout the year.
“Younger students will gain insight into the value of teamwork, supporting others, and community involvement as they continue through the program from first through 12th grade, changing roles along the way. Older students have the opportunity to build character and experience the joy of giving back,” said Cooper.
An after-school tutoring program created by Cooper Steel is active in five elementary schools and includes transportation for the children. The employees visit East Side Elementary School once a month to read to students in their classrooms, and this year they donated school supplies for approximately 1,800 elementary students.
“We plan to continue pouring into this community in ways that will have a lasting positive impact upon the families here. We believe that literacy is the foundation for success and that one positive influence can change the trajectory of an entire life. Cooper Steel’s investment will also expand into the greater community by way of support to community programs and initiatives created to seek out and introduce opportunities for the families of this community,” said Cooper.
Cooper Steel currently employs 569 and has a $65 million expansion project in the works, which will create an additional 121 jobs. Their commitment to construct another state-of-the-art facility that will allow them to offer valuable training to enhance skill sets and their dedication to our local school system fosters camaraderie — and a true sense of family for our entire community.
“I am ecstatic about the opportunities before us to improve so many things for the people of this community, many of whom are part of the Cooper Steel family. Our team spent hours in boardrooms planning the programs in place now, full of hope that they would be both well received and well executed. The hard work and dedication of the teachers, coaches, administrators, and all involved has far exceeded our expectations. It is thanks to their willingness to go above and beyond for those they serve that these programs have been so successful. We are committed to working together to make Shelbyville and Bedford County the best they can be,” said Cooper. GN
