Hitex Marketing Group (PPAI 178802, Silver), PPAI 100’s No. 60 distributor, is based in Miami, but its impact reaches far beyond the “Sunshine State.”
In the Philippines, the firm has a team of 10 employees who volunteer at local orphanages and homes for the elderly run by the Sisters of Mercy. These visits include lunch, singing and dancing, as the employees bond with members of their community.
Similar efforts are made in Mindo, Ecuador, where the Hitex team sponsors and participates in a medical mission serving more than 500 students from the area as well as 2,000 of their family members. In both Ecuador and the Philippines, the company helps build wells to support water purification.
“Sometimes, we overlook the most basic thing, which is people,” says Enrique Perez, president and promotional marketing consultant at Hitex. He places an emphasis on serving “people of geographical locations more so than the geographical location itself.”
Charity Begins At Home
Of course, Hitex understands that saving the world starts at home. Part of the company’s vision statement is “to take care of our team and then to take care of others domestically here in our communities and then abroad,” Perez says.
The firm goes about that by giving back to employees in various ways, including providing masseurs and bringing in a chef to cook keto meals at the office. During the past year, all female staffers even attended a Happiness Festival to share their feelings, learning about “blue zones” and study healthy breathing techniques.
To help employees develop and nurture work-life balance, the company has been running leadership classes for the past three years, which 30% of staffers have taken advantage of.
Enrique Perez
President & Promotional Marketing Consultant, Hitex Marketing Group
“I’ve seen more growth in their personal lives because they were taking these lessons and using them with their families and in their communities,” Perez says.
Hitex gives back to its Miami community by supporting local causes, such as Heartbeat of Miami, which assists single mothers before and after their pregnancies, and Bounce Back From Cancer, a partnership between the Baptist Health Foundation and the Miami Heat to raise funds for cancer research at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
Hitex has created a “Vision Account” to fund these philanthropic efforts. The same amount that employees receive as their bonus from the company profits is matched and given to the “Vision Account” to be used for others. Additionally, one of Perez’ original goals was to help employees “learn how to give,” which he’s demonstrated by allowing every employee to pick a charity for Hitex to donate $500 to.
‘Meaningful Contribution’
His success in teaching employees that lesson is apparent in the testimonies from Debora Moreno and Mary Cris Millan, two Hitex staffers involved in charitable work through the company.
Moreno, customer service rep at Hitex, explains that not only does philanthropy make it feel like, “you’re offering a small but meaningful contribution to humanity,” but it also makes the company feel like a community and family.
Millan, import specialist at Hitex, adds that “when we give, we make a difference in people’s lives and help build a better community for everyone.”
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Perez’s hope is that Hitex’s story will influence others to start giving as well. His advice is simple: “No matter what you do, do something.” Once you begin charitable work, “continuity is very important to the groups that you help.” These long-term efforts build community both within your organization and with the people you help.
As Perez looks towards the future, his dream is to start a foundation. He hopes that it will have enough income that gifting could go on forever. “It’s beautiful to be able to help,” he says.
“In the end,” Millan adds, “our journey at Hitex isn’t just about work. It’s about faith, purpose and people.”
