Home Base Iowa businesses receive national recognition from U.S. Dept. of Labor
State of Iowa Seal
(DES MOINES) – Gov. Kim Reynolds congratulated two Home Base Iowa businesses on Friday after they were selected to receive 2018 HIRE Vets Medallion Program Demonstration awards. The U.S. Department of Labor announced this week that BDC Group, Inc. in Cedar Rapids will be awarded a platinum medallion and SHINN KELLOGG, LLC in Albia will be awarded a gold medallion in the small business category.
“I commend BDC Group and SHINN KELLOGG for their commitment to hire veterans and participate in this new program that recognizes employers for their investments in recruiting, employing and retaining our nation’s heroes,” Gov. Reynolds said. “As we observe Veterans Day this weekend, I want to thank all of Iowa’s veterans for their service and sacrifice and for the unique skillsets they bring from the military to Iowa businesses.”
BDC Group and SHINN KELLOGG were two of less than 300 businesses nationwide awarded medallions during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Thursday as part of a demonstration of the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, which officially kicks off next year. The program utilizes the requirements of the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017 (HIRE Vets Act) signed by the president in May 2017 to determine awardees. The program will recognize large, medium and small employers at two levels, platinum and gold.
BDC Group is currently a Home Base Iowa business and SHINN KELLOGG is in the process of becoming a Home Base Iowa business.
“Not only are we proud to be an Iowa-based company, we are greatly honored to be able to employ seasoned professionals – 40 percent of whom are service-related disabled veterans,” Roger Shinn, CEO of SHINN KELLOGG and service-related disabled veteran, said. “We are very proud of our commitment to our state and to our veterans. For us, hiring veterans works better for everybody. Their service instills in them the self-discipline we need to do the kind of work we do.”
Home Base Iowa is a one-of-a-kind program connecting veterans and transitioning service members to more than 2,000 businesses, 24 college and university partners and 87 Home Base Iowa communities statewide.
The Find a Veteran feature on the Home Base Iowa website allows business and community partners to log in anytime and search veteran profiles. Partners are alerted when a veteran resume is published with matching location and industry criteria. These features allow for connection and outreach by providing a user-friendly platform to find and attract veterans with the skills they need.
“In this day and age, the quality of workers we are looking for and the work ethic we need our employees to have are easily found in the veteran population,” Dennis Bruce, CEO of BDC Group, Inc., said. “We’re very proud of our veterans.”
