SME is passionate about working together to help others and improve the communities where we live and work.
Through community service, strategic partnerships and community investment, we create positive, sustainable change. By giving, we build stronger communities. The SME CARES team creates, manages, and implements community revitalization programs. The team works together to improve and revitalize communities. SME Cares promotes compassion, accountability, respect, empathy, safety, and security.
Volunteer Workforce
Our volunteer workforce is an extension of our core values of selfless service and teamwork. Volunteer activities throughout the Great Lakes region have included yard clean up, house repair, food preparation and delivery, road clean ups, and many more. All ways in which SME Cares our communities. We thrive and enjoy partnering with nonprofit organizations, clients, partners, and community residents. The relationships built during these events brings our communities and team closer which also enhances the fun of giving.
Starr D. Kohn Memorial Scholarship Fund
SME organizes an annual golf tournament to fund a scholarship in memory of long-time SME pavement engineer, Starr Kohn, PhD, PE, who suddenly passed away in January 2009. Starr began his career at SME in 1978 and, along with the great team he built in our Pavement Services group, helped advance pavement research and technologies nationally, internationally, and throughout the Great Lakes region. For over 30 years, he was dedicated to his passion – excellence in pavement engineering. This year we are having our 14th annual golf outing in memory of Starr.
Gail M. Barton Memorial Scholarship
The Gail M. Barton Memorial Scholarship program has been established in recognition of Gail Barton who served as SME’s Collections Manager for over 22 years. Gail had a keen sense of professionalism and resolve and was a trusted friend and mentor to many. More important, she was a devoted wife and mother. SME sponsors two (2) annual scholarships to children of SME staff attending college, in honor of Gail — a woman who believed in the value of a college education and who exemplified and lived SME’s values every day, with dignity, grace and unfaltering hope.
Kenneth W. Kramer Scholarship Fund
SME established a scholarship through the Community Foundation of Plymouth in the name of our founder, Kenneth W. Kramer, PE to support local students who want to pursue studies in Civil Engineering from a Michigan ABET accredited university.