Safe Software was honoured to receive the Corporate Social Responsibility Recognition Award yesterday at the 2017 Surrey Business Excellence Awards gala. Presented by the Surrey Board of Trade and sponsored by CN, this annual award recognizes the work of companies who contribute to the social, environmental and business welfare of the City of Surrey.
“We’re surprised and honoured to receive this award,” says Don Murray, Safe’s Co-founder and President. “Helping people and giving back has been a huge part of Safe from the very start, and it’s all thanks to our team, partners, customers, and community,” adds Dale, Co-founder and VP of Development.
Safe Software was founded in Surrey in 1993 when Don and Dale saw the need to help local companies exchange mapping data (full story here). Since incorporation, the team at Safe has expanded from two to over 150. Safe’s FME software is now used by over 20,000 customers in more than 100 countries around the world.
As the company grows, Safe has stuck to its corporate social responsibility values — locally and globally.
In Surrey, Safe Software has contributed to Surrey Memorial’s new Pediatric Emergency department, and assisted with the addition of a new Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Stabilization Unit in 2013. This year, Safe supported numerous initiatives promoting education and tech innovation, including SFU’s Technovation Challenge, Driving WinTech, LumoHacks, and BC Tech. The company also sponsored teams in Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Champion of the Crescent Corporate Relay Challenge, which raises funds in support for youth mental health programs in our community.
Internationally, Safe Software’s FME Grant Program provides thousands of free licences to students, educators, and non-profit organizations every year. In 2016, Safe gave away over 7000 licences, and the program has helped during disasters including as the Ebola outbreak in Liberia and bushfires in Australia.
With events like company garage sales, bake sales, and foosball tournaments, Safe Software staff also regularly raise funds for initiatives like the Movember Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s Light the Night Walk and the Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association (FRAFC), which provides services to at-risk youth.
This is all made possible thanks to our team, partners, and the FME community. “Thank you to everyone, especially the amazing team at Safe who embraces these initiatives and inspires us to always do more,” says Don. Thanks also to Don Hickling and Jane Adams of the Surrey Hospital and Outpatient Centre Foundation. “As great local partners of ours, they dedicate themselves and inspire us to make Surrey an even better place to live and do business in,” says Dale.
“And thank you to our wives, Alice and Darice, who have been on this journey from our humble beginnings when two guys had an idea,” says Don. “They have always been there for us. We are very fortunate to have such amazing partners,” adds Dale.
Congratulations to all of the 2017 Surrey Business Excellence Award finalists and winners. Safe Software would also like to thank the Surrey Board of Trade and the City of Surrey for making Surrey a great place to live and work.