ECI Software Solutions Announces Winners of Its 8th Annual Everyday Hero Awards

ECI celebrates its customers behind the 141 Project, BeLEAF Survivors and The Silver Coin Project for positively impacting the lives of others

Nov 16, 2023 - ECI Software Solutions, a global provider of cloud-based business management software and services, today announced the winners of its 8^th Annual Everyday Hero Awards, which recognizes customers dedicated to making a difference for others and giving back to their communities. Sven Gustafson of Stonewood, a custom home builder in Minnesota, is the grand prize winner of the 2023 Everyday Hero Award for his charity work with the 141 Project that is focused on building homes for families in need around the world. For the grand prize winner, ECI will make a $15,000 donation to the charity of Gustafson’s choice.

The 141 Project is a faith-based organization focused on building homes for families in need to help end generational poverty. The unique business model uses move-in gift money to purchase materials and build homes in under-resourced parts of the world. For every new home built in the U.S., another one is built for a family in one of the program’s global partner communities that hire local builders to complete the project—gifting safety, stability and hope as a catalyst for change.

Nominations for ECI’s Annual Everyday Hero Awards are submitted by ECI employees, customers and partners and evaluated by a panel of judges. The 2023 runners up include:

• First Runner-Up: Scott Kinderman of Drewco Corp, an industrial equipment supplier in Wisconsin, won $10,000 for his work with BeLEAF Survivors, a charitable organization dedicated to promoting hope and healing for victims of sexual assault, child abuse and neglect. Kinderman works as a BeLEAF board member, advocate and supporter, volunteering his time in emergency rooms with survivors, promoting healing and providing empathy.

• Second Runner-Up: Darko Ristic of W&E Platt, a global supplier of weapon mounts and ordnance systems for law enforcement and military entities in New South Wales, Australia, and his wife Jenny won $5,000 to support The Silver Coin Project, a non-profit, family-run organization that leads fund-raising efforts to purchase uniforms, lunches, supplies and other needs for disadvantaged students in local primary schools. To date, The Silver Coin Project has helped thousands of students in 23 schools in the Macarthur area of Australia.

“The housing crisis touches every corner of the world, and we’re incredibly inspired by Sven and his team for the work they do with the 141 Project to help end generational poverty, one family at a time,” said Trevor Gruenewald, chief executive officer at ECI. “The 2023 class of Everyday Heroes demonstrates an exceptional commitment to community service. The 141 Project, BeLEAF Survivors and The Silver Coin Project embody the fundamental values of community engagement, and we’re honored to work with customers who have a passion for uplifting and empowering others.”

Nominations for ECI’s 9^th Annual Everyday Hero Awards opens in spring 2024. For more information and to watch these heroes’ stories, visit the Everyday Hero webpage.

About ECI

ECI Software Solutions provides cloud-based business software for running small and mid-sized businesses end to end. Built by experts in manufacturing, residential construction, building supply, office technology and wholesale/retail distribution industries, ECI's industry-specific software connects businesses and customers, improving visibility, operational efficiency and profitability. With ECI, businesses seamlessly integrate sales and marketing, business intelligence, CRM, data and analytics, ecommerce, mobile apps and payment processing. With more than 30 years of industry leadership, ECI is trusted by 25,000 customers in more than 80 countries globally. Headquartered in Westlake, Texas, it has offices in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia. For more information, visit www.ECIsolutions.com.

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