Hawthorne Direct supports schools

Hawthorne Direct has given area schools and organizations a boost with proceeds from the sale of excess inventory from its warehouse.

The Hawthorne building on North 16th Street was recently purchased by Agri-Industrial Plastics, while Hawthorne will lease back the office space currently occupied by its Fairfield-based staff and studio space. The transaction prompted Hawthorne to sell or donate excess inventory of furniture, building materials, props and miscellaneous items used for commercials filmed in the Fairfield studio during the past 20 years.

Hawthorne Direct has donated sale proceeds to the Education Foundation of Fairfield Public Schools, Fairfield High School, FHS Renaissance Program, Fairfield Trojan Booster Club, Band Aids, Future Business Leaders of America, Fairfield Middle School PTO, Maharishi School, and the parent groups for each elementary school and MSAE.

Chairman and CEO Tim Hawthorne hopes the funds can be used in supporting the schools? music, art and theatre programs and extracurricular activities.

Hawthorne Direct also donated thousands of dollars of goods to the Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, MSAE, Way Off Broadway and SERVE Outdoors in Fairfield; WeACT Youth Theatre of Iowa, Fellowship Cup and All Dolled Up in Mount Pleasant; Friends of Lake Darling in Brighton;  NAEIR, a national consulting firm that arranges donations of capital equipment to schools and nonprofit organizations; and local groups to repurpose items from the warehouse inventory.

Hawthorne said, ?We are pleased to be able to help area schools and organizations with proceeds and donations from our warehouse sale. We had accumulated a large inventory of items used for our commercial shoots over the years, and it was a good time to do some recycling while helping the community. It is unfortunate that the schools continue to face funding challenges for their fine arts programs, as well as other areas. I hope to see the young people of Fairfield continue to be involved in these activities. Our property transaction with Agri-Industrial Plastics has benefited both parties and allowed us to help the community in the process.?

Hawthorne Direct?s Fairfield office continues to serve as the operational headquarters for the national company, while the growing Los Angeles office is headquarters for creative, production and media services.  Hawthorne will retain its Fairfield TV studio space for filming projects done in Iowa.