Meijer receives veteran-friendly gold certification

Meijer receives veteran-friendly gold certification
<strong> Courtesy Meijer </strong>

A local grocery retailer received recognition for its commitment to hiring, retaining and supporting military veterans.

Meijer recently achieved Gold-level status as a Veteran-Friendly Employer (VFE) from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA).

Meijer is the first retailer to earn the MVAA’s Gold-level honor and is the 20th VFE to receive the Gold-level status, an achievement reached by just 3% of more than 532 Michigan VFEs.

“Given the numerous Michigan team members identifying as veteran or active-duty service men and women, this recognition means a lot to us,” said Tim Williams, vice president of diversity and inclusion at Meijer. “Our focus is not just on hiring those who served, but also offering a workplace that values the unique strengths their service provides and offers the resources they need to thrive.”

One resource is mVets, the retailer’s team member affinity group devoted to creating a safe space for service members, veterans and their allies to build community and share experiences.

Army Reserve Col. Thomas McMahan, who also works as Meijer’s mVets co-lead and the director of food safety and quality compliance, played a role in the submission that secured the Gold-level certification.

“The work mVets is doing is important to our team members,” said McMahan, who has served in the U.S. Army Reserve for more than 30 years. “Not only are we supporting active and veteran service members and their families, but we’re also helping to build an environment of education and understanding around what it means to have served.”

MVAA, the central coordinating agency for more than 550,000 Michigan veterans, launched the VFE program eight years ago to support and recognize employers’ veteran-centric initiatives.

Through the VFE program, employers are certified Bronze, Silver or Gold, depending on their commitment to recruiting, training and retaining veterans.