Three Maine Employers Awarded National HIRE Vets Medallion Bookmark and Share

November 16, 2020

For Immediate Release: November 16, 2020

Three Maine Employers Awarded National HIRE Vets Medallion

AUGUSTA - Governor Janet Mills and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor Laura Fortman today congratulated three Maine employers Bath Iron Works, Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center, and Dead River Company for being named 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award recipients by the U.S. Department of Labor. The award recognizes employers across the nation who exemplify a commitment to civilian employment of U.S. military veterans.

"Maine has a long and proud tradition of military service that directly translates into invaluable leadership and skills that we are fortunate to have in our workforce," Governor Janet Mills said. On behalf of the people of Maine, I thank these companies for recognizing the value that veterans bring to our state and for their commitment to hiring and supporting our nation's heroes.

Congratulations to Bath Iron Works, Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center, and Dead River Company! BIW and Dead River Co. are also annual participants in our Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign, which is currently working to get at least 100 veterans hired within 100 days, Commissioner Laura Fortman said. It is partnerships like these that demonstrate the benefits of hiring veterans for both employers and the skilled workers who have given so much for our country.

Administered by the federal Departments Veterans Employment and Training Service, the annual HIRE Vets Medallion program has awarded 1,341 HIRE Vets Medallions since its inception in 2018. It is the only federal-level veterans employment award that recognizes a company or organizations commitment to veteran hiring, retention and professional development.

In 2019, Dead River Company became the first employer in Maine to receive the award. We are often thanked for our focus on veteran hiring and we are honored to receive this prestigious recognition, Guy Langevin, Dead River Company Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, said. Veterans are a talented, productive segment of the workforce. They possess learning agility; they are great teammates and; they align with our mission to serve our customers. Simply put, we have found that hiring veterans makes us a better company and we thank our veterans for choosing Dead River Company.

The U.S. Department of Labor recognized 675 employers nationwide with this years award. Collectively, this years award recipients hired more than 37,000 veterans since 2018.

As one of the states largest private employers, BIW is proud to currently employ over 1,000 veterans. We need to hire thousands of new employees in the next few years and veterans will remain a key focus because of the skills, capabilities and dedication they bring to our essential mission providing the ships our U.S. Navy Customer needs, Jon Mason, BIW Vice President of Human Resources, said.

We are most pleased to have been awarded the Gold Medallion Award in recognition of our commitment to the hiring and success of our veterans, Jim Downie, Job Corps Human Resources Manager, said. Career Systems Development Corporation and Penobscot Job Corps Center will continue to provide career opportunities to the many men and women who have served in our nation with distinction and have played a key role in the success of our students.

Criteria for recognition vary by level (Platinum or Gold) and employer size (Large, Medium, and Small).

2020 Maine Award Recipients:

  • Bath Iron Works Corporation Platinum, Large
  • Dead River Company Gold, Large
  • Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center Gold, Medium

Maine is fortunate to have companies like Bath Iron Works, Career Systems Development CorporationPenobscot Job Corps Center, and the Dead River Company not only as employers, but as business who continually look to veterans to create a strong workforce in the State of Maine, David Richmond, Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services, said. Experience matters and veterans truly provide a solid foundation in any work environment. Congratulations to the three businesses for earning the 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award.

A press release from the U.S. Department of Labor can be found here: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/vets/vets20201110

For more information about the HIRE Vets Medallion Program and its criteria, visit https://www.hirevets.gov/

For more information on the Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign, visit https://www.mainecareercenter.com/mhav/