Community Outreach
Community Outreach is an approach that factors a company’s stakeholders and shareholders into its decision-making process. We are committed to our stakeholders: our mariners, shore-side staff, the maritime industry, U.S. government and military, the marine environment and the communities where we do business.
Community Outreach in Daily Operations
Many think of Community Outreach as a type of charitable giving – considerate, but tangential to the company’s regular business. For Maersk, responsibility is a core element of our business processes and daily operations.
In a letter to his son in 1946, Maersk founder A.P. Møller wrote, “… and my old saying: ‘No loss should hit us which can be avoided with constant care,’ this must be a watchword throughout the entire organization.”
Living with the seas and respecting nature are ingrained in our culture and match our quest for constant care. Our environmental sustainability philosophy illustrates this adage.
This concept has a wide and deep meaning at Maersk. "Constant care" implies a strong dedication to promote the health and safety of our employees and others in the industry and in the world around us.
A careful, responsible company ensures that its colleagues, its operational environment, and its services maintain high standards. As discussed in operational excellence, we achieve these standards by adhering to rigorous standards of safety, quality and environmental management.
Philanthropy and Giving
We demonstrate philanthropic care for our stakeholders in several ways. Both the company and colleagues contribute time, effort and funds to charitable causes and organizations. Colleagues are encouraged to contribute, and MLL has matched employee giving in select programs, as in the case of Haiti Earthquake relief in January 2010. MLL’s Senior Management Team has outlined a company-wide Community Outreach approach that identifies five key areas that align with our corporate values and represents our stakeholders.
- U.S. Service Member and Family Assistance: The men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces, along with their families, risk much to protect our nation. Doing so often requires great sacrifice physically, emotionally and financially. This focus area allows us the opportunity to help support them.
- Humanitarian Need and Assistance: MLL colleagues can positively impact the quality of life of those less fortunate in our local communities and around the world, by defining humanitarian assistance as a CSR focus area.
- Marine Environmental Conservation: MLL’s headquarters is located on the Chesapeake Bay. With a rich maritime heritage and the largest U.S. flag fleet, we are as committed to environmental stewardship. This focal point is consistent with Maersk’s value of constant care, and reinforces our commitment to health, safety and environmental quality.
- Local Community Service Organizations and Arts Programs: Historically, MLL has been a generous contributor to local community service organizations and a patron of the arts in Virginia. As a major business in the state, this focal point allows MLL to maintain this role and to support arts programs that impact the communities in which MLL staff live and work.
- Education: MLL supports several universities and colleges through participation on boards or engagement in programs relevant to our business. Through contributions of time and funds to educational institutions, this focus area allows MLL to help ensure the success and preparedness of future maritime and business leaders.
