When Donald G. Pierce was named president of Enable Industries Inc. in 1979, he found himself at the helm of an organization that was barely afloat.
Enable's mission was laudable — to help adults with disabilities learn work skills and behaviors that would lead to independent employment and personal satisfaction. But since its incorporation as a nonprofit organization in 1968, Enable had struggled to sustain itself.
Enter Pierce, who took the reins at Enable with a vision and ambition. He crafted a personal mission statement and put the company on a path of measured growth. Over the past 24 years, Enable has blossomed in its efforts to help disabled people learn job skills and achieve independence.
Under Pierce's leadership, the company has become one of two agencies accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, worked to shift its clients from doing "make-work" projects to the paid labor force, moved its headquarters from a condemned elementary school to a modern building in the Ogden Commercial Industrial Park and established a Senior's Program for aging trainees.
Pierce's vision mirrored Enable's corporate mission. He had worked for pay since age 10, as a farm hand, commercial printer, teacher and business owner. He believes in the value of work.
Since Pierce became president and chief executive officer of Enable, more than 1,500 people with disabilities have been trained and employed in community jobs. Today, Enable assists about 350 people daily, both in the production plant and in the community, through job coaching and integrated support.