AME kicks off program to employ veterans in the manufacturing industry

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence Values Veterans Program (AMEV2) launched after a day-long symposium in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

By Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) April 3, 2014
The symposium marked AME’s commitment to re-energizing America’s economy by teaching American employers how to re-capitalize their workforce by recruiting, hiring, training and retaining America’s most precious resource—our veterans. 
“The AMEV2 Program is an outstanding way for businesses to gain valuable strategies for hiring employees who are talented, loyal, who show up on time, take direction well, and thrive in a team environment,” said Nancy Wajler, Director of Education and Training for AME. “Hiring veterans will be one of the best decisions these companies make.” 
The symposium was kicked off with a charge by Randy Harland, executive vice president, DMG Mori, when he gave great examples of how veterans have consistently out-performed their peers and significantly contributed directly to their employers’ bottom lines. “It is our responsibility as employers to do everything we can to remove the barriers we create for veterans that often we just do not see.” 
John Carmen, Jr., vice president of operations, Standfast Packaging, Addison, Ill. is a Navy veteran. Carmen stressed how AMEV2 is directly assisting small- and medium-sized manufacturers such as his company. “Standfast Packaging is making a significant investment to become Vet strong because the future of our business depends on attracting, hiring and retaining leaders,” says Carmen “Our growth requires leaders throughout our business—production, sales, product development, and support staff. Veterans are exactly the profile we need, and we accept the responsibility to adjust our systems to take advantage of the extensive training these veterans have already received,”Carmen adds. 
The next AMEV2 Symposium will be hosted by Terex in Redmond, Wash. on June 17, 2014. For more information, or to attend a symposium and become an AMEV2 Certified Employer, please visit www.amevaluesveterans.com. 
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is the premier not-for-profit organization dedicated to the journey of continuous improvement and enterprise excellence. AME’s membership is composed of a trusted network of volunteers who are committed to leveraging the practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company shared-learning experience. Through engaging workshops, seminars and plant tours, and industry-leading conferences, AME members are continually discovering and implementing new continuous improvement strategies and best practices. AME offers its members a multitude of valuable resources to help them stay abreast of current industry developments, and improve the skills, competitiveness, and overall success of their organizations. Join AME in leading the “Growing Manufacturing in North America” movement. For more information, visit www.ame.org or email info@ame.org