Valspar Honored by Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity at Habitat Hero Award Dinner

Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity honored The Valspar Corporation June 9 at its inaugural Habitat Hero Award Dinner at the Loews Chicago Hotel, recognizing the company’s significant contributions and support for Habitat homeowners across the Chicago area.

Valspar has been a long-standing partner of Habitat for Humanity, helping provide affordable housing for families and improving communities across the region and the nation. Habitat for Humanity has been in the Chicagoland area for over 30 years, and Valspar has provided volunteers, funding and free paint for every Habitat home that is built and restored. 

In May, Valspar sponsored National Neighborhood Week, which prompted more than 500 Valspar employees from 30 of the company’s U.S. locations to volunteer with their local Habitat organization. Dozens of employees from Valspar’s four Chicago-area facilities volunteered hundreds of hours to help the eight Habitat affiliates in the Chicago region with building and painting projects.

“Here in Chicagoland, Valspar and its local executives have been instrumental leaders in our work to change more families’ lives,” said Tony Gambell, a partner at McKinsey & Company, vice chair of the Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity Board and a co-chair of the Habitat Hero event, who presented the award. “In addition to deploying employee volunteers, Valspar has provided a quarter million dollars in cash and product donations to the Chicago region alone.”

Les Ireland, EVP and President, Global Consumer, who is a member of Chicagoland Habitat’s Executive Advisory Council, accepted the award on behalf of Valspar.

“To be truly generous, one must be willing to give their time, their talent, and their treasure to serve others. There is no greater example of this than Habitat for Humanity, and Valspar is very proud of our partnership and the ways in which we work together,” Ireland said. “Thank you for this wonderful honor, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”

John Edwardson, retired CEO of CDW, also was recognized at the Habitat Hero event for his company’s and his personal long-time contributions to Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity.