Santa has his sack full of toys, Noblesville business owner Steve Line has a truck full of cans. Both provide joy during the holidays.
During November and December, Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling, Inc. offers its customers a $5 discount from their bill if they donate five cans through Dec. 20. Line personally matches the total donation.
“Last year we donated 2,500 cans. We loaded up a big truck,” said Line, Summers president. “Employees and I go to the grocery store and buy the matching product.”
Line said the goal this year was 3,000 cans, but it will likely add up to more than 10,000.
“We’re going to double, almost triple, what we donated last year,” he said.
Line said the donations will be delivered to Third Phase on Dec. 23. The first year Line made the donation he surprised the Noblesville food pantry.
“They were shocked. It was neat to see,” he said.
The food drive, which is in its fifth year, came from a meeting Line had with his employees.
“Some of my team was talking to me about giving back to the community,” he said. “The community’s really helped us out.”
This is the second year that Line has personally matched the community’s donation.
Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling, which was recognized as one of the 2013 Indiana Companies to Watch by the Indiana Economic Development Corp. earlier this year, started in Noblesville when Line purchased the business in 2008 with just four employees. It has since grown to almost 100 employees and expanded to 11 different locations throughout Indiana and one in Dayton, Ohio.
“All Summers locations do it and give to local food pantries,” he said. “It’s turned into an annual thing.”