• Exceeding customer expectations
• Delivering new, unique, useful products that make a difference
• Providing personal customer care every time

• Teamwork – Available for support in fulfilling the needs of the team
• Positive – Inspired and light-hearted; a joy in working with people
• Focused – An unstoppable drive to produce results now
• Integrity – Honoring your word; reliable, straightforward, honest and responsible communication

We are committed to making a difference in our industry, our community and our world; being able to contribute is something we value.

Baumgartens contributes to the community through its longstanding in-kind contributions to Atlanta’s Dogwood Festival, which raises funds and awareness exclusively for Camp Sunshine in Rutledge, Georgia. 

Camp Sunshine provides recreational, educational, and support programs for children with cancer and their families. Over the last seven years, Baumgartens has contributed tens of thousands of identification products, including lanyards, laminations films, ID clips, and badge holders for all festival staff, musical band members, park personnel, stage hands—in short, everyone with a role to play at the festival. Because the festival is a large public gathering, different levels of access and clearance are required for various persons in order to keep the event safe and secure for everyone. Therefore, the identification products used are varied and specific to numerous functions at the festival.

Another significant contribution of Baumgartens to the larger community is Concert2Cure. Founded by David Baumgarten in 2003, Concert2Cure has raised over $200,000 in cash and in-kind contributions for the American Cancer Society. Also, it was Concert2Cure that convinced Governor Roy Barnes to name March 3rd Cancer Awareness Day in Georgia. Concert2Cure featured 25 Georgia bands that played over two days at the tabernacle, and also included an auction of, among other items, original art by Peter Max. The event was preceded by hundreds of hours of public service announcements, which raised public awareness for cancer prevention.

Baumgartens contributions from the last 10 years:

• Kids N Need - $7,499 (1998) National non-profit who assists kids who have one or both parents who have died. www.kidsinneed.org
• Gifts in Kind - $75,000 (1999-2004) A global non-profit that redistributes to various needy communities. www.giftsinkind.org
• Feed the Children - $376,826 (2001-2007) A global non-profit for ending hunger and poverty. www.feedthechildren.org
• Green Chamber of the South – primary sponsor of events (2009-2010) An organization that works to connect, grow and develop sustainable businesses in the Southeast. www.greencs.org
• Haiti Relief Efforts - Baumgartens is doing our part to help with the Haiti relief efforts. Below are some supplies that will be needed in the coming months. For each one you buy, Baumgartens will match. You buy a flashlight, we match it and two flashlights get sent to Haiti. We'll arrange for the transport to Haiti and make sure the items get in the hands of those in need. Thank you for your help. Help now….

We Are Concerned About the Public Safety

Two years ago we announced the unprecedented goal of screening 100% of our 800 products for toxins and heavy metals. This stringent European standard is called the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. We pledge to continue this best practice so that our customers can have peace of mind, knowing all of our products are safe for humans.

No other American company has shown their concern for public safety with RoHS compliance the way that Baumgartens has. We have qualified and tested thousands of components, mechanical plastics and metals as heavy-metal safe in our products, and we are annually testing and updating our portfolio of safe products. In addition, we are committed to introducing compostable and eco-conscious materials to the products we are developing wherever it is feasible. Stay tuned for next year’s offerings!

We Recycle

Baumgartens’ tub display rack take-back programs have been in place since inception, which allows our customers to refurbish or recycle our racks. Rather than putting them in the trash, they can request a call tag and we’ll pick it up and refurbish or recycle it. Dramatic environmental savings are available for those who participate in this program.

We also measure our recycling performance by comparing total pounds recycled to total pounds land-filled in the same year. Since we implemented our program, we achieved a recycling rate of 700%, which blew away our target of 600%. Our goal for 2012 is 900%, and we’ll beat that in 2010 — 2 years ahead of schedule.

We Are Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

We are in the process of updating the carbon footprint of our entire company. Most companies are focused on the emissions produced by their offices or perhaps their factories, but we have found that this accounts for just a small fraction — less than 5% — of the greenhouse gases. Our plan is to be 100% carbon neutral by 2015.

We are working with Georgia Tech to find ways to measure the emissions produced at each stage of a product’s life cycle, from the beginning of production and transportation to consumer use and eventual recycling. Starting this year, Baumgartens will be collecting this information for each new product we introduce, so our customers will better understand the progress we’re making.