Consumers Energy Training Project Benefits Community Kids, Adults

Bikes Assembled in Team Building Exercise Donated to Owosso Nonprofit

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May 23, 2014, 06:00 ET

OWOSSO, Mich., May 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy employees assembled four bikes Wednesday on their last day in the Crew Leader Institute for a team building exercise, practicing concepts and skills explored in their training.

That afternoon, the energy company gave the shiny new bikes to deserving kids and adults through Pleasant Valley Impact, a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing resources to low-income residents in the Pleasant Valley mobile home community in Shiawassee County.

"The men and women going through the Crew Leader Institute get a lot out of working with teammates on the hands-on bike assembly exercise, but many of them say they get even more out of seeing the bikes they produce going to good homes," said Brian Ott, manager of electric construction at Consumers Energy. "Consumers Energy has a promise to care for the communities we serve, and this example in a training setting reinforces our culture with leaders at our company in a tangible way."

This week's class brings the total of news bikes and helmets Consumers Energy has donated to Pleasant Valley Impact to 12 since the program began in 2014.

"You've never seen happier or more appreciative kids than when they hop on their new bikes from Consumers Energy and start riding," said Pastor Marlene Webster, director of Pleasant Valley Impact. "We also give some of the bikes to adults in the community. They get to enjoy time bicycling with their kids, and, in some cases, adults use their bikes as transportation to their workplaces."

About 110 employees attend training each year through the Crew Leader Institute at Consumers Energy's Owosso Service Center. A class meets in two sessions for a total of five days.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com, join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConsumersEnergyMichigan and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/ConsumersEnergy.

SOURCE Consumers Energy