At Associated Asphalt, we place value on individuals who uphold our Core Values of integrity, safety, relationships, innovation, and excellence. The Veteran labor population is an incredible resource to find employees that exemplify these values. In 2018, we were proud to become a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Organization. This certification has allowed us to develop long-term strategies for recruiting, hiring, and retaining Veteran employees.
Why It’s Important
The V3 program was created in 2012 to improve the employment rate of Veterans by helping organizations implement best practices to recruit, hire, train and retain Veterans. It was the first of its kind in the United States. Since 2012, 25,000 Veterans have been hired through the program. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for Veterans was 3.7% in comparison to 4.7% for the general population.
Our Progress in the Program
We chose to become part of this program because we not only value the hard work they put in during their time in service, but we value the dedication and skillsets gained through service. Many of the Veteran employees we’ve hired have demonstrated great leadership in management roles and the ability to get buy in from employees. When working as a team could mean life or death, it’s important to inspire loyalty and hard work.
“We’re very thankful for the resources that the V3 program has provided to hire several gifted individuals,” says Wanda Medlin, HR Specialist. “They have been able to work for us in multiple capacities as a result of their military background and experience.”
Our Hopewell, VA terminal is just a short drive from Fort Lee. By engaging individuals near the end of their service through our V3 program, we’ve opened up a whole new network for qualified employees. Our Hopewell terminal now has 5 Veteran employees.
The front lines of production aren’t the only place Veterans have taken a leading role. Corporate leaders like Chief Operations Officer, James Hill, EHS Manager of Training and Development, Terry Adams, and Dan Matthews, Regional Manager also served in the military.
While not all of these key players qualify as a V3 Certified Employee, we’re so thankful to have their vast ranging experience and strong work ethic on our teams. We truly recognize the value in helping to reduce the Veteran unemployment rate and continue to work for similar certifications in the other states in which we operate.