Fueled by a passion for education and medical science and an admiration for veterans, Lee and Penny Anderson have been selected as the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation’s 2015 Award in Philanthropy recipients.
According to friends and business acquaintances, a large part of the Anderson’s philosophy has always surrounded sharing.
Dick Carlson, Nisswa, nominated the Andersons for the honor, citing their local contributions to making their seasonal home a better place.
“The Andersons have a very interesting approach to their donations in that they actually seek out projects to be done,” Carlson noted. “This is particularly true in Nisswa where both of them love the area and sincerely want to have a part in bringing in projects that will add assets to the area. They are aware at all times of opportunities where they can improve and make good things better, and are quick to act on it.”
Lee Anderson is owner and chairman of APi Group, Inc., the parent company to over 40 fire protection, industrial and specialty construction companies located throughout North America and the United Kingdom. APi Group Inc. is a multi-billion-dollar parent company for over 40 independently managed construction companies located in more than 200 locations worldwide. APi Group builds leaders that combine the personal attention of small-to-medium sized construction companies with the strength of an industry leader to bring innovation to the construction industry.
Since 1926, APi Group has grown by acquisition to become the stellar multi-billion-dollar company it is today.
Lee attributes much of his giving spirit to his father, who started the family-owned business later handed down to his son.
While the Andersons have chosen several local organization to benefit from their personal involvement, they are extremely active on a national scale. Some of the organizations to which they have provided substantial support in recent years include the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul; Breck School, Golden Valley; United States Military Academy at West Point, New York; Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts; and the Defender’s Lodge at the Palo Alto Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital in California.
The Andersons were recognized at the BLACF 2015 Annual Dinner and Award in Philanthropy event in July 2015 at the Gull Lake Center of Grand View Lodge in Nisswa.