At the end of 2022, OPW named three winning teams in its annual Imagine What’s Next
innovation competition. The annual competition provides an opportunity for OPW
employees to team up to identify a challenge and propose a new, breakthrough product
or process that solves that challenge.
As part of the prize package, each winning team selected a non-profit to receive a
charitable contribution of $2,500 from OPW, and a matching gift of $2,500 from OPW’s
parent company, Dover Corporation.
OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions Team taps Feeding America for $2,500 gift
Taking first place in the Engineering and New Products category was a team from
OPW’s Vehicle Wash Solutions business, which designs and manufactures both in-bay
and tunnel car washes, as well as car wash payment systems. OPW Employees Mike
Sayyae, Barry Turner and Mike Williams selected Feeding America to receive their
team’s charitable donation.
Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States with a
mission to advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food
for all in partnership with food banks, policymakers, supporters, and the communities
we serve.
“I chose Feeding America because I believe hunger is a major issue in the world today,
and providing food to families in need is very important,” said OPW employee Mike
Sayyae, who made the selection for his team. “Hunger can also have a negative
influence on many things like health, education, and the economy, and by helping to
fight hunger, we can also make positive impacts in these other areas and many more.”
OPW Clean Energy Team selects Women’s Resource Center to receive $2,500 gift
The first-place winner for the Employee Engagement category was a team from OPW’s Clean Energy Solutions business, which designs and manufactures mission-critical components for the safe transfer and distribution of cryogenic and industrial gases. OPW employees Mailou Her, Stephanie Saunders, Estrella Vallecillos and Mai Xiong selected the Women’s Resource Center to receive their team’s charitable donation.
Women’s Resource Center is a welcome center and a safety net offering help for women in Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, and Alexander counties in North Carolina.
“My team selected the Women’s Resource Center because we saw it as a way to support our sisters on their personal journey of empowerment in our local community,” said OPW employee Stephanie Saunders.
“We were so honored and grateful to have been chosen to receive these funds!” said Michell Morgan, Women’s Resource Center’s Executive Director. “Women’s Resource Center (WRC) is a small independent nonprofit. We receive no state or federal funding, so a gift like this really means a lot to us, but the icing on the cake was meeting the dynamic winning team of women in person and giving them a tour of our Center.”
Morgan went on the say that the funds will be used to help maintain their Pantry with a Purpose program, which stocks personal hygiene and household cleaning supplies for women and families in need.
OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions chooses Folds of Honor to receive $2,500 gift
The first-place winner for the Digital, Customer Experience and Continuous Improvement category was a team from OPW’s Fluid Transfer Solutions business, which designs and manufactures components and systems for use on tank trucks, tankers and rail tank cars to provide for the safe and efficient loading, transport, transfer, handling and unloading of petroleum-based fuels, chemicals and dry bulk cargo hazardous bulk products. OPW employees Bill Holmes, Scott Mehman and Brian Shonebarger selected Folds of Honor to receive their team’s charitable donation.
Folds of Honor is a non-profit that helps provide scholarships for military and first responder families.
“I chose Folds of Honor to help support the families of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders,” said OPW employee Scott Mehman who made the selection for his team. “Their patriotic sacrifice for their country was why I made the decision to choose this foundation.”
“The Folds of Honor is proud to provide educational scholarships to the spouses or children of our men and women who have been killed or seriously injured in serving our country either in the military or as a first responder in the communities that each of us live and work. To date we have provided over 44,000 scholarships with 41% of them going to minority recipients,” said Larry Pfeiffer, President of Kansas City Chapter, Folds of Honor Foundation and Folds of Honor National Director.
“Your support will provide a full scholarship for one of these individuals to pursue their future goals and dreams and make it a reality. The FoH is proud to return 91% of every dollar raised to our scholarship program. Thank you, we are blessed by your support.”
The OPW Imagine What’s Next innovation competition has taken place each year for the last seven years and gives employees a chance to find and promote new solutions to current challenges, while competing for the chance to grant OPW charitable contributions to 501c3 non-profits.