Category: Communications

Ross & Baruzzini Gives Back

Posted on by Shanna Evans

The one thing I love most about Ross & Baruzzini is the spirit of volunteering and dedication to civic involvement that comes from our employees. 2017 was a year where the Ross & Baruzzini team shined as they opened their hearts to those that needed it the most.

Fundraising, Community Involvement, and Charitable Giving

April 1, 2017, was a day that brought tears to my eyes as I witnessed our firm wrap its arms around an employee in need through a company-sponsored Poker Tournament Fundraiser.  Several employees volunteered their time and effort and raised over $10,000 through a combination of contributions from employees, local businesses, teaming partners and so many more. We did whatever we could to help a teammate in need in true Ross & Baruzzini fashion – and we had a blast doing it!

Our civic involvement journey continued on a hot June afternoon, as we participated in the Annual Civil Giving Whiffle Ball Tournament.  Ross & Baruzzini did not take home the trophy but we had a great time supporting Gene Slay’s Boys and Girls Club of St. Louis through our donation.

In July, we acquired CAGE, Inc. CAGE brought to the Ross & Baruzzini family CAGE Cares; a non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting the disadvantaged students of the Irving, Texas Independent School District. CAGE Cares raised over $13,954 through the donation of blankets for the homeless and uniforms for the School District, participation in the annual Golf Tournament, and employee payroll contributions.

August came and brought the annual McCarthy Softball Tournament, a Ross & Baruzzini favorite. After 8 hours of playing softball in 90+ degrees temperatures, The Killer B’s took home the gold and donated the $3,000 winnings to Circus Flora.

In September, the hurricanes of Houston and Miami hit. We held a jeans week and asked our employees to donate whatever they could to help out hurricane victims. Ross & Baruzzini matched employee contributions and the Ross & Baruzzini family raised $3,500 and donated the proceeds to Feeding South Florida and Houston Flood Relief Fund.

October is focused on our Annual United Way campaign. This year we exceeded our goal of $21,000.

Our Indianapolis office hosted a Chili Cook-Off in November and asked employees to donate canned food items for the local Indianapolis-based charity Second Helpings.  

At the same time, the St. Louis office hosted the annual Poverty Lunch where employees enjoyed a simple lunch and donated what they would have spent on going out to lunch. We raised over $350 dollars for Brendan’s Backpacks and Sunshine Ministries.

Ross & Baruzzini is committed to taking our volunteering and civic involvement efforts to the next level in 2018. We recently surveyed our employees to see what charitable organizations are near and dear to their hearts and also asked where they would like Ross & Baruzzini to focus charitable efforts in 2018. Stay tuned to see what 2018 brings!

We hope Ross & Baruzzini’s commitment to community involvement and charitable giving will serve as an example for our employees, clients, and partnering companies to make a greater commitment to their communities and change lives.

Listed below are organizations our employees have focused personal charitable efforts on in 2017.  I am so incredibly proud of our team and the culture that is Ross & Baruzzini.  Cheers to the New Year!

Learn more about Ross & Baruzzini’s Civic Involvement and charitable efforts here: http://www.rossbar.com/about-us/civic-involvement/

About the Contributor

Trista Stahr, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Director of Human Resources. Trista has over 10 years’ experience in the field of Human Resources and is passionate about aligning business goals with career goals for the people of Ross & Baruzzini, improving employee relations, and encouraging a healthy work environment. Trista has previously served on the Webster University Alumni Board, YWCA Leader Lunch Steering Committee, Junior Achievement, Lewis and Clark SHRM, and Missouri State Council of SHRM. She holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources and SHRM-Senior Professional certifications and received a Masters in Human Resources Management and Masters in Business Administration from Webster University.

Ross & Baruzzini Acquires CAGE Incorporated

Posted on by Shanna Evans

Ross & Baruzzini is proud to announce the acquisition of CAGE, Inc., one of the leading aviation baggage handling consulting firms in the United States. Based in Irving, Texas, CAGE’s primary professional services focus on planning, design, procurement and commissioning of complex automated baggage handling systems, passenger boarding bridges, ground support services and aircraft parking design.

This is an acquisition we’ve wanted to make for several years to add to our portfolio of global airport engineering and consulting capabilities,” said Craig Toder, Ross & Baruzzini’s Chairman. “CAGE has a highly specialized technical capability that is rare in the industry and fits our growing client base of airports and airlines. They have a terrific staff, a proven management team and some of the best clients in our industry. It’s an exceptional fit for us.”

Founded in 1997, CAGE Inc. has provided services at over 140 airports on projects in excess of $2 Billion. Their client list includes some of the largest airports in the country and they have served American Airlines since the inception of the firm.  Ross & Baruzzini, which has over 300 employees, executes projects in more than 30 countries and operates from its headquarters in St. Louis with offices in Chicago, Miami, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Kansas City, New York, Hamden, Conn., and Columbia, Ill., with staff in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. The two firms will immediately combine operations to leverage opportunities for growth.  CAGE has approximately 45 people on staff.

​Carl Clause, Chairman and owner of CAGE, said “We know Ross & Baruzzini well, having worked together internationally for years. I know the strength of their organization and believe in their growth strategy which will provide a platform for CAGE to build its brand globally.”

“This will continue to open up opportunities for our people,” said Jeff Plant, CAGE’s president “as we will have a greater reach to global markets. Our people are excited about this.” Plant will work directly with Bill Overturf, Ross & Baruzzini’s President, to integrate the two firms. Mr. Overturf remarked that “the cultures of both companies are very similar. It became obvious very quickly that this group is extremely dedicated, and very experienced. I was impressed by the longevity of their staff and the loyalty of their clients. It’s a great company that we are thrilled to bring into our family.”

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.