Innovation Meets Impact: EquipmentShare's Community Work Awarded by Ford Pro

COLUMBIA, MO – July 13, 2026 – In a move that signals a significant shift in how industrial giants measure success, Ford Pro, the commercial division of the Ford Motor Company, has named EquipmentShare the winner of its inaugural Ford Pro Community Award. The recognition honors the Missouri-based construction technology firm for its deep-rooted commitment to community service, corporate social responsibility, and nationwide disaster relief efforts, setting a new benchmark for what it means to be an industry leader.

For EquipmentShare, a rapidly scaling company known for its T3 connected jobsite technology and massive equipment rental fleet, the award is more than just a trophy. It's a powerful validation from a 120-year-old pillar of American industry, acknowledging that the company's mission extends far beyond disrupting the construction sector. The honor highlights a growing convergence in the business world, where innovative growth and tangible social impact are becoming inextricably linked.

"We created the Ford Pro Community Award to spotlight businesses that go above and beyond the vehicle to drive human progress," said Matt Atkenson, executive director of Ford Pro North America sales and operations. "EquipmentShare is the perfect example of a company that truly matches its mission to action. Their structured, passionate approach to community giving across their entire network, turning corporate values into real-world impact, made them the undeniable choice for our inaugural award."

A Blueprint for Corporate Citizenship

While many corporations engage in philanthropy, EquipmentShare has woven social responsibility into the very fabric of its operational DNA. The company's approach is not a centralized, top-down mandate but a decentralized, multi-pronged strategy designed to empower its employees and local branches to make a difference in the communities they call home. This structured framework is what caught the eye of the judges at Ford Pro.

At the heart of this strategy is a commitment to local empowerment. Each of EquipmentShare’s hundreds of branches across the United States is granted an annual budget of $2,500 to donate directly to local nonprofits and grassroots causes. This model trusts local teams to identify and support the initiatives that matter most in their own backyards, ensuring that corporate giving has a direct and relevant community impact.

Beyond financial contributions, the company fosters a culture of active participation. Every employee is provided with 16 hours of paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) annually, encouraging them to put "boots on the ground" for service projects. This philosophy is championed from the top down.

"This award belongs to every team member who has volunteered their time, responded to a disaster or championed a local cause," said Jabbok Schlacks, CEO and founder of EquipmentShare. "I am incredibly proud of our team's dedication to making a difference."

This dedication is perhaps most visible when disaster strikes. The company’s specialized ‘Team Orange’ disaster response unit leverages EquipmentShare’s core assets—heavy equipment and skilled personnel—to provide critical aid in the wake of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other crises. This team deploys essential resources to help affected communities clear debris, rebuild infrastructure, and begin the long road to recovery, turning their rental fleet into a lifeline.

The company’s philanthropic efforts are further formalized through The EquipmentShare Foundation, a dedicated arm that provides hardship grants to employees in times of personal crisis and serves as the financial backbone for its national disaster response. This internal support system reflects a "People First" culture that extends from its workforce to the wider community. Adding another layer to its community-focused revenue streams, the TELEHERO™ Program dedicates 10% of all revenue from its patriotically wrapped telehandlers to local veterans' organizations, creating a direct and continuous line of support for those who have served.

Ford Pro's New Benchmark for Partnership

The creation of the Ford Pro Community Award is a strategic move by the commercial vehicle powerhouse. It signifies a deliberate effort to look beyond sales figures and vehicle performance, seeking to align with and celebrate partners who share a commitment to broader societal values. For Ford Pro, which serves the backbone of the American economy—the contractors, builders, and service providers—recognizing a company like EquipmentShare sends a clear message: purpose is paramount.

This initiative is a natural extension of Ford's long-standing philanthropic legacy. With a history of corporate giving stretching back decades and recent programs like "Ford Building Together"—a major initiative to support non-profits like Habitat for Humanity and Team Rubicon—the company has consistently invested in community well-being. The new award from its commercial division brings this ethos directly into its B2B ecosystem.

By honoring EquipmentShare, Ford Pro is not just giving an award; it is defining the characteristics of its ideal partner in the 21st century. The selection criteria focused on businesses demonstrating an "outstanding commitment to community service, corporate social responsibility and meaningful change beyond the jobsite." It’s a public declaration that the future of commercial business involves a shared responsibility to build a better world, not just better businesses. This alignment is particularly resonant given the two companies' roles in the construction and infrastructure space.

"EquipmentShare is building the future of construction, and we are honored to be recognized by a global company that has been building the future of industry for over 120 years,” Schlacks noted, highlighting the powerful symbolism of the award. It represents a passing of the torch, or rather, a shared carrying of it, from an established industrial icon to a technology-driven disruptor, both focused on building a stronger future.

Redefining Leadership in the Construction Industry

The Ford Pro award places a spotlight on a burgeoning movement within the construction and heavy equipment sectors: the rise of the "conscious contractor." For years, the industry has been primarily evaluated on metrics of efficiency, safety, and project completion. EquipmentShare is helping to pioneer a new dimension of leadership, where a company's social impact is as crucial to its identity as its technological innovation or market share.

While many competitors in the equipment rental space have corporate giving programs, EquipmentShare’s model stands out for its systematic integration and employee-centric design. The combination of decentralized branch-level funding, paid VTO for all employees, a dedicated disaster response unit leveraging company assets, and revenue-sharing programs like TELEHERO™ creates a comprehensive and authentic CSR ecosystem. It moves beyond the occasional check presentation to a state of constant, embedded community engagement.

This award could serve as a catalyst for change across the industry. When a leader like Ford Pro explicitly rewards this type of behavior, it signals to the entire market—from small contractors to multinational rental corporations—that corporate citizenship is becoming a competitive differentiator. It raises the bar and challenges others to evaluate how their operations contribute to the well-being of the communities they operate in.

As EquipmentShare continues its aggressive expansion, fueled by its cutting-edge T3 platform and a growing national footprint, this recognition solidifies its reputation as a company that scales its positive impact right alongside its business. It proves that a "People First" mentality can drive not only a thriving internal culture and loyal customer base but also a legacy of meaningful change that extends far beyond the jobsite.