Early and Often: Meaningful Scale Requires Meaningful Engagement

For Charm to meet our ambitious goals, many things need to go right. Pyrolysis technology must continue to advance and operations must continuously be refined to increase efficiency and revenues – but to fully scale, Charm needs the support and buy-in from the communities where it operates. 

Across the country, projects that don’t take the time to develop this support have faced longer timelines, higher costs, and in some cases, complete cancellation. For Charm, strong relationships with local communities are foundational to success. That’s why the company has taken intentional steps to engage early, build trust and demonstrate a long-term commitment to being a good neighbor.

Community relationships to industry are complex and varied. Jobs that have been a staple for generations are shifting and opportunities are often shrinking. New companies not only need to fill the economic void left behind but must answer to any missteps made by previous industries. Charm begins engagement early to understand local challenges and priorities before scaling operations to make sure Charm is supporting community health and success. 

Well before operations start and permits are attained, Charm’s development and engagement team is on the ground talking to local representatives, community leaders, landowners and neighbors to get a sense for the priorities and challenges that are top of mind for the people who live there. These early conversations allow Charm to receive and address input before standing up a site, laying the groundwork for trust and long-term collaboration.

Before a new operations site is established, Charm conducts stakeholder outreach with neighbors and community members to thoroughly explain Charm’s mission and business, answer questions, and get input from the community. Above: Charm’s Senior Stakeholder Manager Alison Kelman speaks to a room full of interested community members in Western Kansas.

This builds a foundation for ongoing dialogue with the community. Charm provides regular opportunities for residents to ask questions, discuss concerns or provide feedback to our staff. The team is proud of the partnerships that have grown organically from participating in local events — active, continuous participation is how Charm shows its commitment to being part of these communities for the long haul.

Members of the Charm Colorado team volunteered for the inaugural Fix It Fort Lupton event, which provided free home care and repair for low-income residents (September 2025).

Open houses and tours are essential tools to increase awareness and transparency. It takes significant time and effort to conduct outreach to communities on biomass sourcing, pyrolysis, and injection, but it’s critical in obtaining community understanding and buy-in. To ensure these events are accessible, Charm provides meals, kids' activities, and translation and accessibility services when needed. Tour groups have included the Chamber of Commerce, local high schools, conservation and climate groups, forest management groups, agriculture collaboratives, and many more. In areas where Charm's footprint is minimal or a site is still exploratory, the team meets people where they are — participating in local events or hosting meetings at a central location. 

Charm Industrial hosted the Fort Lupton Chamber of Commerce for our official ribbon cutting in August 2024. Charm has been a proud member of the Chamber of Commerce since 2023. Our Chamber membership has been a hugely helpful way to introduce Charm to the broader community, meet and connect with local business and nonprofits. 

In each location, Charm continuously refines its outreach by tailoring its approach to each community’s needs, responding clearly to common questions through preferred media or communication channels, and investing in areas that matter most to residents. If you have a question or suggestion for our community engagement team, reach out at community@charmindustrial.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Members of the Louisiana team hand out plates of food at the second annual First Responder Appreciation Day.