Category: Tresca Brothers Charity

From small-sized pea gravel to massively load-bearing utility gravel, stone aggregate mix comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. But unbeknownst to many, laying this attractive yet hardy material is more than an aesthetic choice; it’s essential to crafting long-lasting, functional spaces. 

Tresca Brothers Concrete offers a trifecta of allure: affordability, versatility, and quality products. These attributes give customers and their outdoor areas a plethora of benefits, all of which are detailed below.

Drainage

Any landscape plan needs to deal with drainage. While there are many ways to sort out the problem, laying gravel is one of the most popular. Offering quick relief from snowmelt or rainfall, the material can divert and absorb water better to prevent pooling better than other solutions. 

But it isn’t just effective — it’s relatively quick to implement, too. 

Landscapers often use gravel to create a swale, a gentle trench sloping away from a building’s foundation, to stop water from collecting near or in the property. Once the trench is in place, they fill it with river rock, lining the edges with pea gravel to create an attractive yet effective water diverter. 

Often, homeowners use it for their patios or walkways to ensure puddles never linger, regardless of the conditions. 

Maintenance Reduction

As soon as it’s in position, gravel requires next to no maintenance to retain its effectiveness or aesthetic appeal. And that’s all down to the natural finish of the rocks. Weeding is perhaps the only chore, but even that’s diminished with proper underlay or weed control sprays. 

Erosion Control

A catastrophic mudslide isn’t the only sign of erosion. Soil wears away naturally, and humans do a great job of speeding it by general day-to-day walking, overwatering plants, and digging.

The beginnings of erosion gullies aren’t just unsightly. In fact, their unattractiveness is their best quality — if left uncared for, they become dangerous. Unchecked water runs in sloped yards, washing the topsoil away, uprooting trees and plants, and transferring fertilizers to the water supply or aquafer. 

So, it’s a gardeners’ job to limit this destruction as much as possible. Fortunately, strategic gravel placement can take control of this water barrage. 

On sloped landscapes, gravel provides a barrier that stops soil from drifting away. Landscapers often apply low fencing, brick edging, or plants to help the gravel stay in place. Any water making its way down the slope comes into contact with the barrier and slowly seeps into the soil, rather than rushing away.

Drought Resistance

Gravel’s drought resistance sits on the other end of the spectrum to drainage and erosion control, making it a good option for those in arid, dry climates, too. 

Where rainfall is scarce, landscapers use this low-maintenance material on flower beds to increase the likelihood of plants always having a water source.

Low Maintenance and Durable

Most materials are either long-lasting or they’re minimal maintenance, but gravel is both. People don’t have to work hard to ensure their freshly laid gravel looks pristine and retains its function years after adding it to their spaces. 

On June 20, 2023, CNN reported that donations were down by 10.5% once adjusted for inflation. This decrease can be attributed to many factors, including the largest drop in the S&P 500’s value since the 2008 recession and one of the highest inflation rates seen in 40 years.

As companies find themselves sandwiched between critics shouting for ever increasing levels of “corporate social responsibility” and a fiduciary responsibility to stakeholders for maximizing short-term profits, it’s not hard to see why donations are no longer a priority during tough times.

The Reality of Charitable Contributions

Tresca Brothers Concrete notes that giving is generally considered as some form of public relations or advertising, as it usually consists of varied cash donations to create goodwill among consumers, employees, and stakeholders. These are meant to improve company optics rather than to create meaningful social impact.

From a business standpoint, social and economic objectives are seen to be mutually exclusive, meaning the opportunity cost of spending on social objectives comes at the expense of furthering the company’s bottom line. 

Are they truly mutually exclusive?

No Man is an Island

Corporations are, legally, treated as a “person,” and they do not function in a vacuum–they are affected by their surrounding society and environment. Competitiveness is dictated by the productive use of capital, manpower, and natural resources to provide profitable goods and services. 

The productivity of available manpower hinges on workers that are educated, remain healthy, and have ample access to their basic needs, while the quality of natural resources depends on the preservation of the local environment. Meanwhile, raising the social and economic conditions in developing countries increases the availability of skilled labor wihle opening new markets for product and service offerings.

With that said, how can social and economic objectives be married?

Give, and It Shall Be Given Unto You

In 1997, Cisco started the Networking Academy, “…to enable students around the world to take part in an emerging technology industry.” states Chuck Robbins, Cisco CEO. “This educational program was designed so that any teenager or adult with an Internet connection could participate and pursue meaningful career paths.”

While education is primarily a social issue, by strategically focusing on creating training programs to make network administrators widely available, Cisco simultaneously addressed a social issue and invested in the future competitiveness of their company.

Consider Apple, who routinely donates their computers to educational institutions, particularly for kids. This is a social benefit to both the school and its students, while also exposing the children to Apple products at a young age, influencing their consumer habits as they get older. 

In the short-term, it might seem that social and economic objectives are mutually exclusive, but they are actually integral to each other further down the line. 

The question then shifts from “whether to give” to “who to give to.” By strategically choosing who to give to, companies can set themselves up for success far into the future.

Better Society = Better Company

Once a corporation discovers the right cause and supports it properly, the positive social impact they create will also reflect in how competitive they are in the market. 

Making the world a better place is an investment, not an expense.

In today’s competitive business landscape, companies are increasingly recognizing the power of supporting charitable causes as a strategic way to enhance their brand reputation and foster unwavering customer loyalty. One such company leading by example is Tresca Brothers Concrete, a renowned name in its industry that is known for its commitment to giving back to the community.

In the following article, we delve into the profound impact of corporate philanthropy on building a positive brand image and forging long-lasting connections with customers. Discover how these trailblazing businesses are redefining success by making a meaningful difference in the lives of others while strengthening their position as industry leaders.

In terms of mindshare, it’s hard to beat TOMS shoes when it comes to corporate social responsibility. The company gave away their first shoe in 2006, and 14 years later they had given away 100 million pairs of shoes. Since 2021, TOMS has been giving away ⅓ of their profits to support organizations like Save the Children, incorporating health and education for a more holistic philanthropic strategy.

So, how does this translate to customer loyalty and brand reputation? The answer is cause-sumption.

Millennials Put Money Where Their Heart Is

Cause-sumption can described with the fact that “…customers are more likely to choose to buy from one brand over another based on the brand’s support of a cause they care about.” Forbes states that 81% of millennials are likely to adhere to cause-sumption, which is significant because they were the largest group of consumers in the U.S. in 2022. 

When a consumer is aware that their purchase is part of a charitable cause, their purchase feels special. The consumer then feels a sense of pride, which spurs on more buying.

While giving to charity is simply “the right thing to do,” there is often more to it than that. By employing a strategy loyalty program, a company can effectively appeal to a wider range of customers, incite lifelong brand loyalty, and do some good along the way.

Not only that, supporting a cause can turn regular consumers into advocates, promoting a brand through word-of-mouth simply because it aligns strongly with their identity and values.

The Power of Word-of-Mouth Advertising

Dubbed as the most powerful form of marketing, word-of-mouth marketing leverages the psychological effect of “Social Proof,” or the bias that the majority knows best. When consumers are purchasing something, the decision-making process is heavily influenced by opinions from trusted sources like friends, family, and even complete strangers, through reviews.

In the age of social media, online reviews are the digital form of word-of-mouth marketing. According to a May 2022 Forbes article, 90% of people gain confidence in a brand that was recommended to them, even if it was from a stranger.

Oftentimes, word-of-mouth happens organically when a business provides a memorable customer experience. On top of that, if the customer resonates with the cause that a business supports, it creates a deeper connection, making them more likely to recommend it to their social network.

Simply put, providing good business results in satisfied customers, which can result in repeat purchases and the occasional recommendation. A good business behind a good cause can even breed brand champions, those who advocate a brand because, in addition to their positive experience, it occupies a special place in their heart.

The goal of a business is to make money, and at the heart of things, stories sell.

The Bottom Line

A business’ overall goals should tie into their giving goals–it should be part of the business’ story. 

More than just articulating words, stories convey emotion and purpose. The right story can drive people to feel the need to act, supporting a brand as they try to make the world a better place.

Starting from an idea by the Tresca Family, Tresca Brothers Concrete, renowned for its charitable contributions, is making good use of its concrete mixer trucks to display advertisements for various charities and military organizations. To date, Tresca Brothers has helped close to 100 charities through this initiative. 

The following article takes a look at the good works of Tresca Brothers Concrete. 

Tresca Brothers Concrete is situated in Millis-Medfield, MA, and has been supplying ready-mixed concrete and other construction materials in the Metro-Boston area since 1920. Now owned by the third generation of the Tresca Family, they put their over 100 years of experience to good use, both in the construction industry and in charity work and awareness.

How it All Started

It is thanks to the Tresca Family that the company originally started using their mixer trucks as rolling billboards to support various causes. Passionate about charitable causes himself, Tresca has actively supported organizations such as the American Liver Foundation, American Cancer Society, Buddy Dog Humane Society, and the Half the Sky Foundation, among many others. 

Starting out by displaying a small number of charities on the side of the cement mixer trucks, it soon became clear that this initiative was incredibly popular. The number of charities that they began representing soon grew, with many customers and drivers requesting causes close to them be advertised as well.

It’s not just charities that are featured by Tresca Brothers on their fleet, though. Military organizations also take the spotlight, showing the company’s support of military men and women whether they are veterans or still in active service. 

A Clean Image

By raising awareness of such important work, it’s imperative that the trucks remain squeaky clean to show off the cause they are representing. As a result, this not only catches the attention of would-be donors, but also helps keep the professional reputation of Tresca Brothers Concrete pristine. 

Other Good Deeds

It’s not just putting the charities’ information on the side of their vehicles where Tresca Brothers supports good causes. They are also happy to bring the trucks along to charity fundraising events in order to help to raise even more money. 

As evidence of the amazing work that they do, Tresca Brothers has also received glowing testimonials both for their professional service and for their support in fundraising for various causes. 

Among their biggest achievements is raising over $70,000 for the Consigli Foundation, as well as helping a fundraiser for FSGS research raise over $135,000.

National Recognition

This good work has not gone unrewarded. In 2008, Tresca Brothers was awarded by the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA) for their fleet graphics, receiving recognition across the country for their initiative. However, some may argue that the true prize is being able to help out so many great causes. 

How to Get Involved

Tresca Brothers is happy to promote many charitable causes around the New England area, having their logo and information painted on the trucks at no cost to the nominee or the charity. For those that can think of a suitable organization, be sure to get in touch with them.