Thirty Two Benchmark Exec's Clean Up Chattanooga Museum's Rail Yard

Move 96 Tons, Put Benchmark's Hometown Hospitality in Action Again

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. October 14, 2008

HOUSTON, TX, May 4, 2006. Thirty two of Benchmark Hospitality International's vice presidents, managing directors and general managers recently concluded their Annual General Manager's Meeting by donning work gloves, flexing their muscles and joining together to clean up the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's East Chattanooga Rail Yard.

The Benchmark executives, who were meeting at The Chattanoogan, Benchmark's urban resort located in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, put the company's nationwide community service initiative, Hometown Hospitality, in action by doing so.

"To be able to utilize this many volunteer man hours allowed us to deal with a major clean-up project that has been building for years," said Tim Andrews of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. "The Benchmark team jumped in and brought about an incredible change in the appearance of our yard and shop area. We could not have done this without them and we were grateful for their help."

The rail yard was covered with pieces of metal and other debris that had gathered through the years, which needed to be removed, organized, shrink wrapped and placed on flat beds for storage or disposal. Much of the metal was old and rusting, so gloves were donated by Best Manufacturing for use by the Benchmark team members.

Fortified with a luncheon held prior to the clean up in a 1922 vintage Dining Car while riding across the museum's three-mile demonstration railroad, the Benchmark crew went forward with the belief that many pairs of hands make light work -- or at least lighter work. After four hours, the job was done. The Benchmark general managers had hand-lifted, organized, and stacked on pallets 96 tons of material! The rail yard was clean and safe for visitors to traverse. Benchmark once again demonstrated the merits of getting involved in the local community to effect positive change.