Those who read this book may have realized that Cowan was already socially responsible long before the term became a buzzword. The company’s concern for its human resources has always been a priority with the directors. Since it was founded, the company has done all it can to help day cares, orphanages, hospitals, and communities, for which the company feels it has some responsibility. Santa Casa de Montes Claros, a hospital Walduck Wanderley used to be the provider for many years, is a good example of this. In the neighborhood of Liberdade, in Belo Horizonte, philanthropic entities receive Cowan’s support. One example is the Creche Comunitária Aurélio Pires, a day care for needy children located in Praça Santo Antônio, opposite Cowan’s head offices. The institution cares for 127 children from the community, ranging in age between 4 months and 6.  The company’s support goes beyond financial help: Cowan organizes parties and opportunities for people to meet in the company’s yard. The company’s concern for the social aspect of the communities is also extended to the communities close to the construction sites, wherever they are. Cowan helps these communities by hiring these people to work in the constructions and buying inputs from local stores.

Sustainability

Cowan believes that, in order to take a leading position in the market, a company, in the first place, has to invest in quality and operate with respect for the community and for the environmental norms. This is the reason why Cowan does not save when it comes to training, qualifying technicians and promoting programs geared to the sustainable growth of the company. Operating in harmony with nature is on the top of the list of priorities.  In each project the company makes use of constructive techniques that minimize the impact of the Project on the environment.