Katrina-Displaced Compeat Restaurant Management Systems
Donates 'Obsolete' Office Supplies to Louisiana Elementary School
After Corporate Rebranding
AUSTIN, Texas — October 11, 2006 — Compeat Restaurant Management Systems, the leading provider of restaurant back office software, announced today that it will be making a donation of over 1700 pens, note pads, and folders to Joseph S. Maggiore, Sr. Elementary School in Metairie, Louisiana.
Originally located in Metairie, Compeat was forced to move to Dallas, Texas last September during Hurricane Katrina. One year later, the company and many of its original employees have relocated to Austin. "The transition – we've been in three different cities in the last year – has been hard," said Harry Barkerding, founder and CEO of Compeat Restaurant Management Systems. "However, the last year has been good to us in other ways. We've had a record year and we plan on doing more great things in the months and years to come."
Part of the Compeat plan included a corporate rebranding effort, which left the company with a large supply of "obsolete" office supplies – supplies with the old corporate branding. "We've been fortunate," he said. "Many of us still have family and friends back in Louisiana and we felt that, instead of throwing the supplies in the trash, we'd try to do something positive with them."
The problem, though, was what to do with them. Through an Internet search, Compeat found iLoveSchools.com, a non-profit company dedicated to matching donors with recipient schools. School teachers build wish lists of equipment, materials and supplies. Donors locate teachers through the wish list search and offer their donations of new or used items.
By conducting a wish list search, Compeat was able to find over 50 schools in Louisiana that were requesting assistance. Refining the search turned up a school from Metairie: Maggiore Elementary School. Once the connection was made, there was no turning back; not only is Maggiore Elementary from Compeat's hometown, but the school is named after the father of one of the Compeat employees.
"It's a natural fit," said Barkerding. "We had something they needed. It feels good to be able to give back to the community like that."
About iLoveSchools.com
Non-profit I Love Schools, Inc. provides a matching service between America's school teachers and generous donors of new or used classroom equipment, materials and supplies. Over 40,000 teachers ask for anything from pens and pencils to naptime rugs. 100% of a donor's new or used gift goes directly to the teacher they choose. Visit www.iLoveSchools.com to find a teacher in need.
About Compeat Restaurant Management Systems
Compeat Restaurant Management Systems is the leading provider of restaurant back office and accounting software. Its flagship product,
Compeat Back Office Software, is the first fully integrated inventory and back office accounting system created specifically for the
foodservice and hospitality industry. Today over 200 customers use Compeat in over 1,000 restaurants, with annual sales ranging from $1
million to $400 million.
Contact
iLoveSchools.com
Jerry Hall
Executive Director
858-274-2121
jhall@iLoveSchools.com
Compeat Restaurant Management Systems
Director of Marketing
(512) 279-0771
