At the 9 June 12 awards banquet in Lansing, MI, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) recognized Michigan businesses that truly take care of their employees who are also in the military reserves or National Guard. The Pro Patria Awards are the highest state level awards presented to employers for their exceptional support of those serving in the Guard and Reserve. Pro Patria Awards are given in three categories: Public Sector, Large Business and Small Business.
Uniform Color Company was nominated by their employee, Navy Chief Petty Officer Jay Greenwell; Uniform Color Company was a recipient of the Pro Patria Award in 2011. From the beginning UCC has always taken exceptional interest in the caliber of personnel that they get from the US Military. Not only did they active seek military members as employees, they encourage their employees to look into the Reserve and Guard as excellent career moves and offered their support every step of the way.
When Chief Greenwell was selected to go to Washington to represent his Reserve Center as the Sailor of the Year, UCC purchased him a new Service Dress Whites uniform so that he could present the most professional appearance. They flew his family out to their satellite facility in North Carolina, provided baby-sitters for his four children and took him and his wife out to celebrate, and presented him with a special honor from the owner of the company.
Chief Greenwell was recently deployed to Iraq for a 14 month deployment. About two weeks before his deployment, UCC flew the Chief and his wife to Holland, MI, for an important meeting. Because Chief Greenwell worked in North Carolina and was new to the area and did not have a baby-sitter, they flew his sister-in-law from Kentucky to North Carolina to watch our children for a few days. They put the Greenwells up in a hotel, treated his wife to a massage and make-over, and gave them special recognition at a huge banquet.
While Chief Greenwell was in Iraq, company representatives contacted him multiple times and made calls and e-mails to his wife to make sure things were okay for her. Then, UCC then put together a fund-raiser, and collected the money to purchase EVERY member in his unit a pair of specialized sun/safety glasses, including special ordered prescription lenses that automatically transitioned for bright sun usage. They sent these over with a care packages with letters of appreciation and even extra frames in case some of the troops broke theirs.
It is no surprise that the Uniform Color Company is a finalist for the 2012 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award—our nation’s highest award for employers.
