WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor, Wednesday, awarded 427 employers from around the nation for recruiting, employing and retaining America’s veterans. The 2019 Hire Vets Medallion Award recipients attest to hiring more than 52,000 veterans since 2017. Included among the recipients, in the small business category, was Camblin Mechanical, in Atlantic. The awards were presented at a ceremony hosted by Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia said “The recipients of the 2019 HIRE Vets Medallion Awards demonstrated a commitment to hiring veterans and helping them develop meaningful, long-term careers. From small-town businesses to Fortune 500 companies, these employers understand that veterans are uniquely qualified and dedicated employees who make significant contributions in the workplace.”

Other Iowa businesses awarded for hiring Veterans include: Shinn-Kellogg, LLC., in Albia (Platinum Award); Brad Deery Motors, in Maquoketa (Gold Award); Iowa Lakes Regional Water, in Spencer (Platinum Award); and Marion Process Solutions, in Marion (Platinum Award).

In 2017, President Donald J. Trump signed the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) of 2017. In 2018, the Department conducted a Program Demonstration and recognized 239 employers in anticipation of the official program’s launch in 2019. Recipients of the 2019 HIRE Vets Medallion Awards attested to meeting the rigorous employment and veteran integration assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources; leadership programming for veterans; dedicated human resource efforts; and/or compensation and tuition assistance programs for veterans.