Social & Economic Development

 

We are proud to operate in the communities across the country where we are located. We make long-term investments to contribute to the well-being of these communities and are honored to provide jobs, support local businesses and boost the overall economy on both local and state levels.

For example, the impact of our operations in Michigan supports a total of 765 jobs and generates $161 million in economic output for the state. Similarly, in 2016, we provided over $136 million in sales for 261 Maine-based vendors located in 83 cities and towns all across the state, and paid $7.7 million in state and local sales, income, property and other taxes.

Across the U.S., we’ve also developed partnerships to help communities thrive. For example, we have worked with the Student Conservation Association to provide high school students in 18 cities with:

  • Environmental education opportunities

  • Hands-on community and conservation service opportunities

  • Summer employment

  • Job readiness and leadership training

In 2002, Ozarka Brand Natural Spring Water founded the Every Drop Counts Scholarship Program, which, to date, has distributed more than $500,000 in scholarship funds to deserving students pursuing degrees and careers in earth science.  Ozarka currently awards one $10,000 annual scholarship to a student at Texas State University in coordination with The Meadows Center for Water and Environment and awards three local $3,000 scholarships to students in the spring communities where we operate.

Ozarka also supports The Meadows Center for Water and Environment’s Water Grand Challenges series – a collaborative effort to brings together an influential and diverse group of stakeholders representing legislative, landowner, business, environmental and philanthropic interests to grapple with urgent issues outside the normal scope of water policy makers.  The company supports the efforts of the Texas Stream Team, a network of trained volunteers and supportive partners working together to collect information about the natural resources of Texas and to ensure the information is available to all Texans.