Passion for Our Community
Here at StoneWorks, there are many forces that drive us: creativity, craftsmanship and resiliency to name a few. Chief among these driving forces is our PASSION, not only for what we do as a company to please our customers, but for what we do as individuals to benefit the needs of our community. StoneWorks has a well-established company culture of giving back to the communities we serve. We believe that our “customer service” extends well beyond the doors of our showroom - we have a duty to reach out to the community at large and make our area a better place to live for ALL of us.
A History of StoneWorks Commitment to Community
Since the late 1980s, StoneWorks’ founder John Baltzegar has made one of the core values of his corporate philosophy that of commitment to the Lowcountry community.
Before relocating our showroom to Bluffton and our state-of-the-art Fabrication Center to Port Royal, StoneWorks was headquartered on Hilton Head Island. For more than 15 years, StoneWorks’ employees cleaned up Hunter Road together on Hilton Head Island as part of the Adopt-A-Highway program. They helped beautify the road at least four times each year. Throughout our many trash pick-ups over the years, we have hauled away more than 500 bags of trash!
Another Hilton Head Island charitable organization that has been near and dear to the hearts of many StoneWorks employees is The Deep Well Project. Founded in 1973, the original initiative of The Deep Well Project was digging wells to provide clean, safe water for the Hilton Head Island community. It has since expanded the scope of its focus to include providing food, livable housing and emergency assistance with rent and utilities, as well as many other programs that enrich the lives of children and adults of all ages in the Hilton Head area. StoneWorks collected many donations and made innumerable charitable contributions to Deep Well during the time our operation was located on Hilton Head Island.
StoneWorks also has a special interest in our local Special Olympics - an event we sponsor each spring. More than 400 Special Olympics athletes of all ages from Bluffton, Hilton Head, Beaufort, Hardeeville and Ridgeland come together to compete in track and field events, and our employees are there to encourage them all along the way.
In addition, we also have supported the Lowcountry Foundation for Wounded Military Heroes, the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and many other charities and local schools.
A New Focus of Charitable Service
In early 2020, StoneWorks expanded its fabrication operations in northern Beaufort County, opening a new 37,000-square-foot facility on Robert Smalls Parkway in Port Royal. At the same time, our boutique showroom was relocated to a brand new space in Sheridan Park in Bluffton.
Now that we are located in one of the most patriotic communities in the United States, it’s even more noteworthy how much StoneWorks is dedicated to honoring our veterans and active duty military. This past November we offered 10% off labor for veterans as a way of showing gratitude for their sacrifice and service. We have a strongly held belief that we have a duty to support our military heroes. In fact, three integral members of the StoneWorks team have served in the U.S. armed forces.
Stoneworks is actively involved in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, the Hilton Head Area Home Builders Association and the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce. In fact, when the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce held its 2021 Civitas Awards, StoneWorks was one of only three nominees for the TRAILBLAZER AWARD for Free Enterprise Excellence.
Two other charitable organizations based in northern Beaufort County that have recently benefited from StoneWorks’ company culture of giving back to the community are CAPA (Child Abuse Prevention Association) and HELP of Beaufort. Stoneworks was one of the main sponsors of Music from the Manger in December, a three-day event to benefit CAPA. Our employees also teamed up in October to collect donations for HELP of Beaufort, whose main mission is “to provide food, clothing and short-term assistance to our neighbors in need.
Looking to the Future of Giving Back
“To whom much is given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48) No doubt you have heard that pearl of wisdom, and you know it means we are held responsible for that with which we have been blessed. If we have been blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, and the like, it is expected that we use our gifts to benefit others.
At StoneWorks we have been blessed with wonderful, loyal customers, dedicated, hard-working team members and a welcoming, gracious community in which we have flourished. Because we are grateful for our success and driven to continue to thrive, we must remain stalwart stewards of our community and always ready to lend a helping hand to our neighbors.
As has always been at the core of our company’s values, GIVING and DOING for others will remain chief among our corporate priorities as we look to the future of Stoneworks and its place in our community.
