AVON, Ohio — Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems (Bendix) is continuing its long-running commitment to hands-on community support with its largest-ever Habitat for Humanity framing event.
“Our community support efforts are firmly rooted in the culture of Bendix,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix senior director of environmental, social, and governance. “This event reflects the values we share across the company – teamwork, leadership, passion, and responsibility – and shows how we continue to invest time and talent in service-related activities that help strengthen our communities.”
Helping Families in Need
Held at the company’s headquarters on June 18, the build brought together over 200 employees to construct the walls of two houses for families in need.
The framing event was conducted in collaboration with Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity and Help Build Hope, a program of CrossRoads Missions that brings homebuilding into communities through volunteer-led events. Over the course of the afternoon, employees constructed 140 wall frames – about 70 per house – and signed each one with personal messages of encouragement before the frames were delivered to a Cleveland-area neighborhood where the homes will be completed.
Building Homes and a Legacy
The 2025 build marks the 18th and 19th homes framed by Bendix employees in Avon – and at the previous Bendix headquarters in Elyria, Ohio – since the initiative began in 2008. Over that time, more than 2,100 team members have contributed upward of 8,200 volunteer hours, turning nearly 10,600 pieces of wood into more than 800 frames. The company paused the program from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resuming with two-house builds in 2023 and 2024.
This year’s effort was the most ambitious yet – nearly equivalent to framing three standard homes – reflecting larger house footprints and growing demand in Greater Cleveland Habitat’s development plans.
Bendix’s 2025 contributions included:
- $7,000 for lumber and fasteners
- More than $1,600 for oriented strand board (OSB) roof sheathing
- $3,000 toward roofing materials
- Support for wall transportation and coordination provided by CrossRoads Missions
Changing Lives
“Whether team members were swinging hammers or helping with logistics, this event brought us together to support something bigger than any one of us,” said Erich Neugebauer, Bendix scrum master and co-leader of the 2025 build. “It’s been a great opportunity to lead, collaborate, and make a direct impact on the lives of others.”
Neugebauer co-led the event alongside Bendix Legacy Brake Control Product Engineer Yazmin Dorpinghaus, with support from the company’s Environmental, Health, and Safety team. Both are members of the Avon Local Care Team.
Additional Initiatives
Beyond the framing activity, the day featured sitewide engagement initiatives, including booths hosted by employee resource groups (ERGs) and a plastic bag recycling drive. Collected bags will be repurposed into woven mats for donation – a project led by Dorpinghaus and inspired by her time at Bendix’s Acuña, Mexico, location.
The day concluded with a group photo of volunteers gathered around a frame before it was loaded for delivery – capping off a successful event that underscored the company’s commitment to community involvement.
This year’s build also recognizes the 20th anniversary of KB Global Care, the philanthropic arm of Munich, Germany-based Bendix parent company Knorr-Bremse. While the event was not funded through Global Care, it served as a meaningful tribute to the foundation’s entrepreneurial approach of create sustainable solutions for social challenges.
About the Partners
Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization active in communities in all 50 U.S. states and approximately 70 countries. Guided by a mission rooted in the idea that everyone deserves a decent place to live, Habitat helps families build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable housing. Partner families contribute to the construction of their own homes alongside volunteers and purchase their homes through an affordable mortgage.
Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity addresses the need for safe, affordable housing by building, rehabilitating, and repairing homes in partnership with low-income families. The affiliate focuses on neighborhood revitalization, working to transform entire blocks through clustered home construction. Families selected for homeownership complete sweat equity hours and homebuyer education before purchasing their homes through a zero-interest mortgage. To date, the affiliate has served more than 300 families in Cuyahoga County.
Help Build Hope, a program of CrossRoads Missions, nurtures sustainable relationships with individuals and communities across the country by organizing volunteer-driven home framing events. Working with partners like Habitat for Humanity, the program expands community impact and provides hands-on service opportunities for participants of all ages.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
