For students looking to join a college Formula One racing team, the way in which their racing vehicle is transported between university and race track likely isn’t top of mind. But dreams of first place finishes can quickly stall without a suitable way to move the car trailer, which requires a truck with a powerful engine to do so. Enter the DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF).

DNAF recently awarded a $50,000 gift to the Oakland University (Rochester, MI) School of Engineering and Computer Science, which allowed them to purchase a brand-new Dodge Ram 2500 crew cab truck, an ideal vehicle for hauling the trailer and precious cargo inside. Prior to that, students had to rely on the generosity (and availability) of family members to offer their personal vehicles to tow the car, which proved to be a constant challenge. Thanks to the DNAF grant, the Grizzlies racing team can transport their hotrod with convenience and style.

“Without supportive sponsors like DENSO, our team members would not be able to apply the theories learned in the classroom and test them in a dynamic real-world setting,” said Adam Delbeke, student president of the Grizzlies Racing team said. “In the past going to events was a logistics nightmare. Now, having the DENSO truck allows us to go to more events and get there with ease. We can’t thank them enough.”

With support from DNAF, the team is turning heads before even unloading their car. Oakland University shares more about the donation and what it means for the students and school.

Our associates continue to impact the neighborhoods where they work and live in big ways. In April, 22 quality engineers took time out of their day to volunteer with the American Red Cross’ Sound the Alarm program. These rock star associates installed free fire alarms in homes all over Southeast Michigan. Volunteers like Chris Panke, Justin Higgs, and Rebecca Hagerman, who participate in DENSO’s Worktime Volunteering program, shared the following about their experience:

“The work was very rewarding. It was shocking to learn how vulnerable we all are to the risk of loss due to inadequate fire safety precautions. The numbers shared were staggering and each homeowner was extremely appreciative in our education about those risks along with installing the smoke detectors which can help save them and their family members. It really was an eye-opening experience.” – Chris Panke, Quality Planning, Sr. Manager

“This was a very fun event that helps many people who are less fortunate. It is a very sobering experience to see some of the living conditions that the elderly and former military members are living in, and I was glad to be able to provide them with the extra peace of mind of having working smoke detectors…I hope to volunteer for it in the future.” – Justin Higgs, Field Quality Engineer

“For me, when I signed up to volunteer for the Sound the Alarm program, I wasn’t expecting to make much of a difference by installing smoke detectors. I was wrong. Some of the homes my team visited had zero functioning smoke detectors – zero. Just by installing the smoke detectors and providing the homeowners with valuable information about fire safety within the home and explaining the importance of having a fire escape plan, gave me a rewarding feeling. Like I was making a difference in these peoples’ lives. It was a great experience.” – Rebecca Hagerman, Sr Service/QA Support Specialist

In 2017, DENSO gave a $10,000 grant to support Sound the Alarm. From April 28-May 13, the nationwide program installed over 100,000 free smoke alarms in 100 different cities across the United States. According to the American Red Cross, seven people die from home fires each day. This initiative was created to raise fire safety awareness and save lives.

Thank you to all our employees who exemplify our passion for strengthening communities and keeping them safe. Keep up the good work!

Our engineers like to compete. From sports leagues to holiday gift donations, they go all out. Our Cockpit Systems* Engineering Division even used DIAM’s Worktime Volunteering program to start its own competition for associates—a competition to see who can pack the most food donation boxes at Focus Hope for low-income seniors in need.

The competition started in Cockpit Systems 3. Dan Tran, an Engineering Senior Manager in Cockpit Systems 3, and his team chose to volunteer at Focus Hope using DIAM’s Worktime Volunteering. The following year, his director encouraged the other departments to participate and make it a division-wide competition.

“I think it’s important for management to be engaged in these types of activities to lead by example” said Dan. “Everyone enjoyed participating at this event and it was a great team bonding experience. We feel like we’ve given back to the community and that we were challenged. When someone saw a packing station falling behind, they jumped in to help keep things moving.”

*Cockpit Systems formerly known as Body Component Systems

The Winners Circle

Over the last few months, four teams competed in the Cockpit Systems Focus Hope challenge. Check out the rankings below to see how the teams fared, and read about the experiences of two associates who participated:

1st Place

Team: Cockpit Systems 3

Packed: 24 pallets (1,325 boxes)

Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes (757 boxes/hr)

“I want to commend my team for their commitment because even though it was the worst snow storm of the winter, everyone still made it downtown in time for the activity,” said Victor Vulcu, Engineer 4 in Cockpit Systems 3. “Our team won, but what’s most important was that our team packed a week’s worth of food donations for low-income seniors. I think more teams should do activities like this. It’s a good experience for associates. It’s something tangible and you can see your immediate impact.”

2nd Place

Team: Cockpit Systems 1

Packed: 14 pallets (770 boxes)

Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (513 boxes/hr)

3rd Place

Team: Safety

Packed: 22 pallets (1,200 boxes)

Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (480 boxes/hr)

4th Place

Team: Cockpit Systems 4

Packed: 18 pallets (1,000 boxes)

Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (429 boxes/hr)

“This volunteer activity would not have been successful without our director, Chee Cheong, and the support of our senior managers and managers,” said Nancy Chen, administrative assistant in Cockpit Systems 4. “Our director sent an email to everyone encouraging us to participate. Some associates were hesitant at first, but then they started signing up after seeing the email. The email showed that our director supported the activity during work hours and believed it was meaningful. We felt a sense of community after the activity. We felt like one DENSO team. We’re very proud to represent DENSO at Focus Hope and to show other groups our DENSO Spirit.”

Cockpit Systems Division Total: 78 pallets (4,290 boxes)

Years to Come

“Each year, we want to keep improving to see how we can be more efficient and pack the most boxes possible,” said Dan. “It’s a chance for us to be challenged both mentally and physically. Friendly competition helps drive team motivation and it feels good to support a local organization such as Focus Hope.”

Learn How to use Worktime Volunteering

Click the “Download” button on the upper, right hand side of this story to download information about DIAM’s Worktime Volunteering program.

Did you know DENSO featured a line of robots at CES in 2017? DENSO’s COBOTTA robots showed CES guests what future, day-to-day life could be like if people and robots collaborated more. For instance, one of our robots acted as a “Barista-bot” that brewed and served coffee to our DENSO booth visitors on the spot!

A few other companies also showcased their own Barista-bots at CES. Wondering how DENSO’s robot barista fared against Bosch and Aubo? Click here to find out which bot made the best cup of joe.

More About Our DENSO Bots

DENSO has been a leader in manufacturing automation, including the design and manufacturing of industrial robot arms, since the 1960’s. Now, we use more than 17,000 of our own robots at DENSO manufacturing facilities across the globe. And, more than 85,000 DENSO robots are used for precision assembly, manufacturing, product testing and quality assurance by other companies worldwide.