Ricoh In The News" ricohaficio
(43/M/Highlands, NJ) 10/24/01 6:27 pm
In a show of support for the victims and heroes of Sept. 11, Ricoh Corp. is co-sponsoring the largest American flag on display in New York City. The flag will drape around the offices of Ricoh Business Systems at 510 Fifth Avenue.
In addition to Ricoh, Tahari Fashions is also co-sponsoring the flag. The two companies have offices in the landmark building. The five story flag is 150 feet long and 52 feet high and is made of a mesh material so office workers can see out the windows. It fronts on Fifth Avenue and drapes around the corner onto 43rd Street.
"As New York begins to rebuild from this disastrous event, it is already evident that the human spirit is strong and alive, and this huge U.S. flag is another way to show this spirit," said Kirk Yoshida, president and CEO, Ricoh Corp. "Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of all the people whose lives were taken in this senseless attack. We are joining the efforts of numerous companies and organizations that have stepped forward to offer support in this time of need."
Jim Ivy, executive vice president of Ricoh Corp., said the company is honored to take part in this patriotic show of support for the victims and heroes of Sept. 11. "No words can do justice to the feelings all Americans are sharing at this time, so in some way we hope this display of patriotic pride will help to heal our nation," he said.
This patriotic show of support is Ricoh’s most recent contribution to the relief effort. Within 72 hours of the September 11 disaster, Ricoh employees and equipment were in operation supporting the relief effort at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the New York Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Family Services, the FBI, the New York Police Department and the American Red Cross.
Ricoh’s support included delivery, installation and maintenance of digital black and white copiers, color copiers and facsimile products. Ricoh Business Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ricoh Corp., and the site of the flag, provided all installation and service of the products.
In addition to the products and services provided by Ricoh, the company also matched dollar-for-dollar employee donations to the September 11 Fund, and made a substantial corporate donation to the New York City Twin Towers Fund and the American Red Cross. Ricoh’s monetary contributions, plus the value of the products and services provided to the relief organizations, totaled more than $1.5 million.
At the time of the attack, Ricoh Corp. was preparing for its end-user technology forum, "Ricoh 21…The Source," which was to be held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center Sept. 12-14. Products that were on display for the event were immediately offered to FEMA for its needs since it had set up operations in the Javits Center. Products included high-speed digital copiers and high-speed facsimiles. Also donated from "The Source" meeting were promotional items, including 3,000 bottles of water sent to FEMA, and 1,200 promotional t-shirts sent to a local Salvation Army collection site for use by rescue workers at the World Trade Center.
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