Carolina Handling was named a veteran friendly employer by the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs (SCDVA) during a presentation held on December 5, 2023, at the company’s Hilton Learning Center in Piedmont, South Carolina.
The SCDVA program recognizes South Carolina businesses that actively recruit military veterans and empower and enhance their employment through training and career development opportunities. Carolina Handling received the program’s certificate of bronze standard.
“It’s an honor to be here to give you this award on behalf of the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs and Secretary Todd McCaffrey,” said SCDVA Operations Coordinator Kailay P. Washington. “This program recognizes employers that provide great services for not only veterans in their workforce, but also veterans in their community.”
The exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida, Carolina Handling in a leading materials handling equipment supplier, offering consulting, design and engineering services, and integrated automation solutions for manufacturers, warehouses and distribution centers.
About 12.5 percent of Carolina Handling’s 759 total workforce served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The company has 212 South Carolina associates, 31 of whom are military veterans.
The presenting sponsor of the Veterans Employment & Transition Summit hosted by The RECON Network and a multi-year sponsor of the Military & First Responders Skybox at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greenville, South Carolina, Carolina Handling is committed to raising awareness among military veterans about careers in material handling.
“The skills developed while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces can make you highly successful in the material handling industry,” said Carolina Handling President & CEO Brent Hillabrand. “Carolina Handling offers comprehensive onboarding and continuous training to assist with a meaningful military-to-civilian transition and a purpose-driven career.”
Several Carolina Handling associates who served in the military were on hand to celebrate the company’s recognition as an SC veteran-friendly employer. Service Manager David Ten Eyck, an Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, talked about his Carolina Handling experience.
“We have crawl, walk and run phases that start with online learning and continue to hands-on learning in the field,” Ten Eyck said. “We also operate with standard processes that eliminate uncertainties. And, there is an open-door policy much like the military. If I’m not available, my guys know they can go to the next man up.”
Regional Sales Manager Andy Donnon, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, agreed.
“Coming out of the military, you’re afraid that the team foundation and focus won’t be there, and you’re worried about how you’re going to bridge the gap,” Donnon said. “But I think employers want people who have the standards taught in the military and can motivate others to hold to those standards of culture, team and identity.
“When I first came to Carolina Handling, I often joked that whoever established the organizational structure must have been an Army guy. There are layers and structures everywhere with a support person in place all along the way.”
For more information about careers at Carolina Handling, contact recruiting@carolinahandling.com or visit the careers page on our website.
