Vendor Donates Tool and Equipment Management Kits to Habitat for Humanity Affiliates

ALBERT, Alberta — March 31, 2015 — ToolHound Inc., a leading global supplier of tool tracking systems, has provided ToolHound 5 tool and equipment management kits to 15 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in North America. The ToolHound 5 Cloud Kits help Habitat construction managers reduce tool loss and theft.

ToolHound has been serving construction professionals with their tool management software for over 30 years. When a Habitat for Humanity affiliate first contacted ToolHound in 2007, they could not afford to purchase a tool and equipment management solution, so the company decided to create the ToolHound for Habitat program.

Habitat for Humanity helps build houses in partnership with low-income families, with volunteers providing much of the labor, while land, materials and money are donated by individuals, organizations and corporations. To make the most of limited budgets, the organization needs to closely monitor their tools and equipment.

“Without the support of ToolHound, we would not have been able to implement this type of inventory tracking system,” said Bill Klaves, development director for Habitat for Humanity Northern Fox Valley. “We save time and money by having the right tools at the right job site, and we save thousands by preventing tool and equipment loss and theft.”

Unfortunately, theft of tools is quite common at Habitat job sites. On January 22, 2015, a two-house building project with Habitat for Humanity Washington Countywas halted when a toolbox was stolen from the property containing approximately 90 percent of the power tools used by 30 volunteers at the building site.

“Luckily, I kept checking Craigslist until an ad popped up trying to sell the tools, and the thief was apprehended by the local police,” said Erick Podurgiel, construction manager for Habitat for Humanity Washington County. “We didn’t get all of our tools back, and since we didn’t have a tool inventory management system in place, we were unable to identify every tool that was missing.”

Podurgiel began searching for a tool management solution because his current method of managing 500 tools with an Excel spreadsheet was proving to be too time consuming. However, he had trouble finding a software solution that was tailored to the construction industry and capable of expanding with their growing inventory.

“ToolHound fits our construction industry perfectly and allows us to track how long each tool has been in service, for better management of tool maintenance and usage,” said Podurgiel.

The Habitat for Humanity Washington County affiliate is one of 15 affiliates throughout North America that have received the ToolHound tool tracking kit free of charge. Each of the affiliates received the cloud-based ToolHound 5 tool and equipment management software, ruggedized tool barcode labels and a barcode scanner; a total package with a retail value of approximately $6,000. The ToolHound tool and equipment management solution offers Habitat real-time visibility into equipment inventory levels and locations. In addition, construction site managers can more easily differentiate between tools brought in by volunteers and those provided by the organization.

“We are proud of our long-term relationship with Habitat affiliates, helping them track their tool usage, thereby saving time and money for the families that need their services in order to own an affordable home,” said Dean Perry, president of ToolHound. “The ToolHound 5 tool and equipment management solution is a helpful resource for every construction professional.”