Nearly 50 executives of Southern Company Gas — the leading natural gas company in the industry, headquartered in Atlanta — spent time during their annual executive leadership meeting to focus on building bikes instead of business.

The team assembled 12 new bikes during a team building exercise. They were donated at the end of the meeting to kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Winder-Barrow. Southern Company Gas leaders say they hope their efforts will have a lasting impact in the local community.

"We're building more than just bikes, we're showcasing one of the core values of our company, which is to ensure that our communities are better off because we're there," said Southern Company Gas CEO Kim Greene. "These bikes will build more than just relationships and skills between these teams today ... they will work to enrich the lives of one of the communities we're privileged to serve."

Each day, the Boys and Girls Club of Winder-Barrow supports about 150 kids in a community serviced by Atlanta Gas Light, a subsidiary of Southern Company Gas.

Perez Watson, teen coordinator of the Winder-Barrow organization, was there to accept the bikes.

"This is great, and I can promise you they'll be put to good use," Watson said. "We couldn't do the important work we do in the community without the strong support of companies such as Southern Company Gas."

Southern Company Gas executives from Atlanta Gas Light, Nicor Gas and Virginia Natural Gas participated in the bike build.