THE BIG WHEEL OF PIRELLI TIRES, Paolo Ferrari, was in Rome for a meeting of the company’s U.S.-Canadian-Mexican sales force at this, its North American headquarters and primary production site for premium tires. He offered a bit of cheering news in addition to the fact that upscale “rubber” such as is coming out of Rome is the big growth market for the company.

Pirelli, he said, plans to become more involved in Greater Rome’s community life — and it hasn’t exactly been a wallflower to this point. Remember, this is the company that when it moved here from New Haven, Conn., insisted on paying local school taxes even though offered a respite on those as part of the overall package of incentives.

Ferrari didn’t single out where or what it would help support but, in the current moment where many nonprofits and event promoters alike are breathing thin air when it comes to finding funding oxygen, those must be considered encouraging words from a patron/neighbor clearly capable of delivering.

“There are more things we can do with the community,” Ferrari said, “in terms of sponsorships and in terms of contributions to local activities. I think it’s something we’ve done in the past and I think it’s something we can do even more in the future.”

There are many local “players” with similarly well-known names who might consider following Pirelli’s lead.