Mar 2, 2021   SOURCE: BusinessWire

AriensCo Receives Prestigious Wildlife Habitat Council Certification

AriensCo has received the prestigious Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) Conservation Certification® for its work to restore and conserve 150 acres of natural ecosystem at its headquarters in Brillion, Wisconsin. The conservation effort is expected to have positive benefits for the land and animals that call the habitat home, as well as AriensCo employees, visitors and local residents.

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AriensCo earned a prestigious Wildlife Habitat Council certification for a massive conservation project at its headquarters in Brillion, Wisconsin. (Photo: Business Wire)

AriensCo earned a prestigious Wildlife Habitat Council certification for a massive conservation project at its headquarters in Brillion, Wisconsin. (Photo: Business Wire)

AriensCo has committed to restoring approximately 86 acres of prairie oak savanna, a unique habitat that once thrived in the U.S. Midwest but is currently in peril. It is estimated that only 0.01 percent of Wisconsin’s original 5.5 million acres of prairie oak savanna are left. The remaining 64 acres of the project will be comprised of forests and wetlands. All of the land is on property that AriensCo owns.

AriensCo has been manufacturing the Gravely, Ariens, Countax and Westwood brands of outdoor power equipment, including both professional and consumer lines of lawn mowers and snowblowers, for nearly a century.

“The biggest motivation for AriensCo for this project is the future and health of our community and employees,” said AriensCo Chairman and CEO Dan Ariens. “We have our roots here in Brillion. We want to protect this land, the people and the wildlife that call it home, not just for the present, but for generations to come. We are committed to this project’s success and excited by all of the benefits it will bring to plants, animals and people alike.”

AriensCo sought guidance from WHC in 2017 to begin the project. WHC runs a certification program that independently verifies environmental programs managed by a variety of companies around the world.

“The WHC Conservation Certification program at the Brillion campus is a model of corporate conservation on a manufacturing site,” said Margaret O'Gorman, WHC President. “Recognizing the importance of green space for employees, AriensCo has created a thriving habitat to support wildlife, recreation and agriculture that meets the stringent requirements for WHC Certification.”

AriensCo is working with ecologists to revive the land and cultivate native vegetation and wildlife. People will benefit, too. AriensCo can reduce air pollution, protect vital resources, contribute to people’s rest and positive mental health, and increase a sense of community for the people of Brillion and those that visit. The result is a stronger, more supportive and more appealing work environment for AriensCo employees.