SSAB Donates $100,000 to Local Schools in Mobile County, Alabama

For nearly two decades, SSAB’s Alabama mill in Mobile has recycled more than 7.4 million scrap tires that otherwise would have been sent to a landfill or worse become an abandoned tire dumpsite that breeds disease carrying mosquitos. From this successful program, SSAB’s Foundation for Education has received more than $1.4 million from scrap tire recycling. We have invested the program’s proceeds to support local public schools in the area surrounding the mill. 

In November, SSAB presented a total of $100,000 to four school systems in Mobile County – Chickasaw City Schools, Mobile County Public Schools, Saraland City Schools and Satsuma City Schools. 

“It is important for SSAB to take social responsibility as well as taking environmental improvement initiatives. In this case we are able to do both,” said Andy Bramstedt site manager at the SSAB Special Steels Mobile mill. “This program has long been a part of the environmental and sustainability work done by SSAB.”       

“When we invest in our schools, we are introducing our schools to SSAB,” said Tony Cooper, environmental director for SSAB Special Steels’ Mobile mill. Cooper and Bramstedt were on hand for the check presentation and talked with school principals about the Scrap Tire Recycling Program and it significance to SSAB. 

Schools receiving money for special projects are: 

• Calcedeaver Elementary – enhancements to the media center and gaming room
• Chickasaw Elementary – Outdoor learning lab – water feature, easel stations, cabana, sensory stations and two outdoor Science labs to complete the STEM kit projects
• Chickasaw High – Upgrade library media center – floors, chairs, couch and ottoman w/power outlets – Working with Life Changers Inc. 3D printers that produce prosthetics for below the knee
• Collins-Rhodes Elementary – Book vending machine where students will be able to earn tokens through acts of reaching their reading goals
• Lee Elementary – Math manipulatives and class sets of materials, headphone replacements and a large-format printer for the media center
• North Mobile County Middle – STEM class enhancements including a drone and 3-D printers
• Saraland Early Education Center – iPad upgrades for their computer labs and moving iMacs to the classroom for kids to be able to work together to create presentations
• Saraland Elementary – iPads for intervention access for special needs students
• Saraland Middle – Upgrades to computer labs including printers and laminators
• Saraland High – T-84 scientific computers for all students to be able to use while taking their ACTs 
• Satsuma High – Upgrades to tech equipment shortfalls and a sound system at the school

The scrap tire material is used as a raw material supplement to reduce the amount of purchased charge carbon in the steel manufacturing process.

Contact: Leigh Perry-Herndon, Communications Director – l[email protected] or 251-377-5438