Emerson today announced the donation of 250 acres of property it owns near Winfield, Missouri, including its former corporate conference center facility, to Concordance, a St. Louis-based re-entry nonprofit that provides essential services and support for individuals released from prison so they can successfully re-enter society and the workforce.
Emerson's in-kind donation was made in support of Concordance's First Chance Campaign, a $100 million national fundraising initiative to scale the nonprofit's re-entry program. The campaign is chaired by Concordance board member, David Steward, founder and chairman of World Wide Technology.
'Emerson's gift comes at a pivotal time for our organization,' said Danny Ludeman, chairman and chief executive officer of Concordance. 'As we expand nationally and scale in St. Louis, this facility will not only serve training and administrative purposes, but will also provide critical, life-saving substance use and mental health treatment services to participants locally and from across the country. With 80% of individuals in prison having a substance use disorder, and 83% of individuals in prison having a mental health disorder, the Winfield facility will help us meet the needs of our participants throughout their healing journey. I am so humbled by Emerson's gift, their belief in our mission and their dedication to fostering racial equity in our community.'
The conference center facility, known as Winfield Manor, was previously used by Emerson for management meetings, leadership training sessions and employee recognition events.
'We are pleased to help Concordance deliver on its mission to support individuals who have served their sentences and are seeking to re-enter society and the workplace,' said Lal Karsanbhai, president and chief executive officer of Emerson. 'Emerson has been a supporter of Concordance and the demonstrated success of their approach. With this property donation, Concordance can help create a more stable and more equitable future for these individuals and our communities.'
In the short term, Concordance plans to use Winfield as its residential treatment facility for participants. Concordance plans to expand nationally and open 11 new centers in the next five years in order to serve 6,500 participants nationally. As Concordance scales nationally and increases services in the St. Louis region, Winfield will serve as a multi-use facility spanning both participant and administrative needs, including expanded residential substance use and mental health treatment services, workplace simulation site for participants as part of the education and employment curriculum, and as a national training center for Concordance team members.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR) is a global technology and software company providing innovative solutions for the world's essential industries. Through its leading automation portfolio, including its majority stake in AspenTech, Emerson helps hybrid, process and discrete manufacturers optimize operations, protect personnel, reduce emissions and achieve their sustainability goals. For more information visit Emerson.com.
About Concordance
Concordance is a CARF-accredited nonprofit that offers the country's first set of integrated, holistic, and evidence-informed services to individuals returning to society from prison. Founded in 2015 by Danny Ludeman, former CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors, Concordance has lowered the rate of reincarceration by 56 percent among its participants who have been released from prison in the last three years. The nonprofit works with individuals in pre-release and post-release and assists them in three primary areas: behavioral health and wellness; education and employment; and community and life skills. Concordance is committed to healing individuals, reuniting families, transforming communities, achieving racial equity, and advancing the field of re-entry services. Headquartered in St. Louis, Concordance is working toward national expansion, with plans to bring its re-entry model to 11 additional cities nationwide over the next five years. For more information, visit https://concordance.org/. Resources for news media including fact sheets, photos, and videos are available at https://concordance.org/media-kit/.
EMERSON ELECTRIC CO. 
