Our Rhino
The black rhino was adopted as our "corporate creature" quite serendipitously. On a whim, we purchased a fiberglass replica of a black rhino's head from an antique shop in Maine. We mounted it outdoors on the second floor wall of the shop surrounded by splintered clapboards. This created the dramatic illusion of a rhino bursting through the wall of our building.
The advertising value of this local spectacle was tremendous! We soon received worldwide exposure when a photo of it was distributed over the AP wire. Before long, however, we realized we were benefiting from a creature in grave danger of extinction. Black rhinos have roamed the earth for over 30 million years, yet they may not survive another decade. Poaching, human encroachment and habitat destruction have all contributed to the demise of the black rhino and its relatives, the white, Indian, Sumatran and Javan rhinos.
Many conservation organizations are addressing the immediate plight of the rhinos, but their need for support is far from satisfied. Our bursting rhino icon has come to play an important marketing role at Conant Metal & Light and we, in turn, have become increasingly committed to it as a living creature.
