Company Partnership with ‘Heroes’
Aids Veterans, Helps Recruiting Efforts
It’s the type of program where everybody
www.martinmarietta.com | January/February 2 2020 The Conveyor 7
benefits.
Martin Marietta gets to meet with
highly qualified military veterans and
introduce them to an exciting and worthwhile
industry. In turn, those veterans take
an important step in the transition to
civilian life and learn about a potential
career path. Does it get any better?
“The manufacturing industry consistently
cites the inability to attract and retain talent
as a top concern and employers are eager
for skilled workers to fill a multitude of job
openings in the sector,” says Babs Chase,
vice president of military and veterans’
programs for The Manufacturing Institute,
the workforce and education partner of the
National Association of Manufacturers.
“Every year, more than 200,000 U.S.
service members return to civilian life,”
Chase says. “These are men and women
who put their talents to work in a mission
larger than themselves, are accustomed to
working in teams toward common goals,
and who possess skills and talents that
would make them excellent additions to
any manufacturing team.”
Run by Chase’s organization, the program
– Heroes MAKE America – is an initiative to
build connections between the military
community and manufacturing by providing
veterans transitioning to civilian life with the
skills and training needed for a successful
career in the industry. To date, the program
has graduated 268 service members with a
90 percent job placement rate, Chase says.
Talent Acquisition Manager Andrea Wun
says Martin Marietta has spent the past
several months hosting Heroes MAKE
America groups at quarries in North
Carolina and Texas. While Martin Marietta
participants (including several veterans)
have been thrilled with the opportunity to
share their experiences in the industry,
Wun says the partnership also has great
potential for long-term company benefits.
“The military veterans market is a great
untapped resource for us,” she says. “As
they prepare to step away from the military,
many soldiers are looking for an environment
that offers that same support and
sense of community. At Martin Marietta,
our company culture is similarly strong.”
Senior HR Generalist Elizabeth Balderrama
has organized a handful of Heroes
MAKE America events at Beckmann Quarry
in San Antonio and says she’s found the
program to be rewarding.
“Heroes MAKE America allows participants
to see the numerous opportunities we offer
within Martin Marietta – opportunities they
may not learn about otherwise,” she says.
“That’s exactly why this program is important.”
Now in its second year, Heroes MAKE
America has begun to expand in an effort to
serve more and more veterans, Chase says.
As that expansion continues, she and other
program leaders welcome the opportunity
to work with a greater number of Martin
Marietta teams. ▼
BY ANNA COLLINS
A group from
Heroes MAKE
America pauses
for a photo
while touring
Pomona Quarry
in Greensboro,
North Carolina.
Photo by Corporate Recruiter Josh Jones.
Photo courtesy of Heroes MAKE America.
In North Carolina, Lemon Springs Quarry Plant Manager
Todd Bouquin speaks about the aggregates industry while
guiding a tour for Heroes MAKE America participants.
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