Gregg Strandberg, a volunteer mentor at Boca Helping Hands, stands outside his home in Highland Beach. As a retired CEO, he connects students in vocational training with professionals in their fields. ’What stands out about Gregg is his patience, compassion and commitment to meeting each student where they are,’ says Trina Chin Cheong, director of Workforce Development at Helping Hands. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Kathleen Kernicky
When electrical trade student Azrael Class needs professional guidance or advice, he turns to Gregg Strandberg, a retired CEO who volunteers as a mentor at Boca Helping Hands.
“Over the past year, his guidance, advice and encouragement helped me become a better version of myself,” said Class, 21, a second-year vocational college student pursuing a career as an electrician.
“The books he recommended helped me learn lessons, helped me grow, build new habits and see things from a different perspective.”
Strandberg, 62, of Highland Beach, is the founder and former CEO of Filterworks USA (now known as Autotality). Under his leadership, the Deerfield Beach family business grew into a nationwide distributor of automotive collision repair and service center equipment such as frame-straightening systems, bench racks, paint booths and ventilation systems.
Strandberg connected with Class last year at Boca Helping Hands, a nonprofit serving Palm Beach County with food assistance and workforce development programs. Helping Hands provides hot meals to anyone in need and a pantry bag program for low-income families.
It helps students like Class attend accredited vocational centers where they train for sustaining careers in areas such as healthcare, construction, information technology and others.
Strandberg, a licensed general and mechanical contractor, enjoys being a mentor. He arranges for Class to meet with other business owners who can offer advice or perspective and may be helpful in his future career.
“You’re there to give someone a boost and help them achieve their career goals,” he said. Strandberg also has worked at Helping Hands’ warehouse, assembling bags of food from the pantry and handing out turkeys and meals at Thanksgiving. “I love having an impact on our neighbors who are experiencing challenges and need some help,” he said.
Helping Hands’ focus is serving the community’s immediate needs for food assistance and future needs in career development.
“Let’s feed the folks who need help now and help folks in job development to learn a skill and a trade that will help them to feed themselves and their families later on,” Strandberg said.
After living in Boca Raton as a child, Strandberg returned upon graduating from the University of Georgia, where he “definitely knew” he wanted to go into business.
He opened Filterworks USA in 1988. His wife, Nancy, did the interior design work for most of their clients. Their daughter-in-law and son worked there.
He sold the business in 2018 and stayed on as CEO for three years before retiring and serving as chairman of the board.
Married 37 years, the Strandbergs have a daughter, Jensen, and a son, Cole, and two young granddaughters. He volunteers between trips to New York to visit his daughter and granddaughter.
Strandberg arrived at Helping Hands in 2023, one of more than 300 volunteers who help assist more than 40,000 clients each year.
Opened as a soup kitchen in 1998, the agency provided more than 3.5 million meals across five distribution sites in Palm Beach County last year, according to its website, bocahelpinghands.org.
“I heard great things about this organization and its impact on the community,” Strandberg said. “It was easy to get involved when my schedule started to free up. And I was impressed with what I saw there.
“It was such a welcoming environment … and to see how everyone was so absolutely efficient and committed to the cause. I can’t say enough about it.”
Trina Chin Cheong, director of Workforce Development at Helping Hands, said volunteers like Strandberg play a vital part in the organization’s success.
“Since Gregg joined as a job mentor, he has fully embraced the opportunity to support our trade students as they navigate their journey toward becoming apprentices,” Cheong said.
“What stands out about Gregg is his patience, compassion and commitment to meeting each student where they are. He takes the time to listen and understand their needs. His willingness to invest in our students makes a lasting difference.”
“Helping Hands is caring about their community and caring about their neighbors,” Strandberg said.
“There are endless opportunities to help.”
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