When Kevin Touchstone was appointed to the Russellville Industrial Development Board last month, the Russellville City Council knew what it was doing.
Touchstone, the complex manager for Pilgrim's Russellville, is the face of Franklin County's largest employer, so he's a perfect fit for a board that works to recruit new industry and support expansion of existing industry.
But Touchstone's impact on Russellville and Franklin County goes well beyond his new board appointment. When he took over in February 2018, Touchstone took over a facility that, by the admissions of Pilgrim's employees, had a sharp divide between labor and management.
Additionally, even with the largest employee base (1,350 employees) in the county, there were some who believed that the company was not beneficial to the community, even with statistical data that showed otherwise.
Pilgrim's Russellville contracts with 236 local poultry farms with annual payment of more than $41 million, along with $40 million in payroll for the Russellville facility.
The company also contributes more than $3 million to the local tax base and another $3 million in utility payments.
But previous management had come and gone, with some choosing not to make their homes in Franklin County. Beyond the issue of where management lived, the relationship between Pilgrim's and its community was, at best, subject to improvement.
Then came Touchstone, and all that changed.
He's only lived in Franklin County a few years, but Touchstone is a man who understands his community, and as the head of its largest industry, he's 'all in' when it comes to Russellville.
The Touchstone family lives in Russellville, and Kevin and Lea's children attend Russellville City Schools. The same night Kevin was appointed to the Industrial Development Board, Lea was named to the Russellville Library Board, hardly the most glamorous board appointment, but an important one nonetheless.
The Touchstones aren't looking for glory. Instead, they're working to make their hometown a better place to live and work.
Pilgrim's wages have increased under Touchstone's leadership. Hardly a week goes by that Pilgrim's isn't making a donation to support Russellville City Schools or non-profit organizations in Franklin County.
In the middle of a pandemic, Pilgrim's made a $2,500 donation to the RHS cross country team. Why? Because the team needed help. Coach Shawn Greenhill approached Touchstone to inquire whether the company could help, and the answer was a resounding 'yes.'
The donation was a major step toward allowing Greenhill's program to grow. There's nothing glamorous about a cross-country donation. You don't end up on the Jumbotron (although Pilgrim's is there too after a major sponsorship to the RHS Booster Club).
This spring, with health care workers on the COVID-19 front lines, Pilgrim's gave a 10-pound bag of chicken to every Russellville Hospital employee. That's more than a ton of chicken just to say 'thanks for what you do for us.'
Pilgrim's Hometown Strong program is a commitment from the company to inject $50 million into the communities Pilgrim's serves. And they didn't forget Russellville.
The company recently announced a $309,000 donation to the City of Russellville to fund construction of what will be Alabama's largest splash pad, something that was a vision for community leaders for many years.
Russellville Mayor David Grissom said Touchstone approached him asking for ideas of how they could help the city. It didn't take city leaders long to get back to him.
“I appreciate Pilgrim's investment in our local economy and their involvement in the Russellville and Franklin County community,” Grissom said.
And the Hometown Strong support won't stop with the splash pad. With a $580,000 commitment to Russellville, there's more to come from Pilgrim's.
“Home is where the heart is and Russellville is our home. I am honored and blessed to serve a community and company that shares my family's values,” Touchstone said. “We look forward to many more years of service.”
Decisions on when and how the money will be spent will come after conversations with local government, nonprofit and community leaders.
“Pilgrim's allocates Hometown Strong funds directly to causes and organizations that support needs resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and causes that will invest in Russellville's future,” Touchstone said.
Pilgrim's has also invested heavily in COVID-19 safeguards inside its Russellville plant. Those include temperature scanning of all team members prior to entering the facility, health screenings for anyone entering the facility, employment of a COVID Superintendent to oversee compliance with safety protocol, distribution of extra personal protective equipment and more.
The company also sent home its most vulnerable populations of employees, including those over age 60, those with chronic conditions, etc., with full pay and benefits.
That's literally putting your money where your mouth is. Some companies offer lip service about taking care of their employees. Some take action, and that's why Pilgrim's relationship with its employees continues to improve.
It's important for Pilgrim's employees to remain safe as 1,350 people can have a significant impact on the health of a community during a pandemic.
“The well-being of Russellville is essential to our success at Pilgrim's, and we want to be a good neighbor,” Touchstone said. “Through the Hometown Strong program, we are honored to help build a stronger community for us all.”
And that's exactly what they're doing.
