EquipmentShare Commits to Grow Veteran Employment by 50% Over Next Two Years

EquipmentShare, the equipment and digital solutions provider serving the construction industry, plans to increase the number of military veterans it employs by 50% within the next two years. This news came after EquipmentShare’s November Veterans Day fundraising campaign that raised $20,000 for Welcome Home and Hire Heroes USA.

Veterans currently make up about 10% of EquipmentShare’s workforce. It is the company’s goal to increase the number of veteran employees to 15%, or 300 veterans. EquipmentShare will commit to participating in military-focused job fairs and will review all job applications that indicate military service, in addition to partnering with Hire Heroes USA to support efforts to transition more service members to civilian work. EquipmentShare is actively hiring for various positions at locations across the country and encourages veterans to explore opportunities within the company.

“It’s a privilege and honor to have veterans be a part of our team, and we’re humbled to be able to work alongside them,” EquipmentShare CEO Jabbok Schlacks said. “EquipmentShare has always hired veterans and service members, but with today’s announcement, we are making it a commitment for the long-term. We’re proud to partner with Hire Heroes USA so we can make good on our promise to continuously support our veterans.”

EquipmentShare and its employees raised $20,000 to support both Hire Heroes USA and Welcome Home, a nonprofit in Columbia, Mo., that empowers homeless and at-risk veterans in mid-Missouri to return to society as productive, self-supporting citizens. In turn, Welcome Home named ones of its rooms “The EquipmentShare Room.” This room will serve as a safe place to stay for veterans experiencing homelessness in the central Missouri area.

In honor of the holiday, EquipmentShare also highlighted a story involving one of its own employees, Eric Benjamin, who is a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran. Watch the video, which tells the story of a child’s admiration of a real-life hero. 

“It’s hard to explain what’s going through a veteran’s head,” Benjamin said in the video. “You’re constantly (thinking) no one cares. The key is that unsolicited gesture. For an 8-year-old child to pick you and write a letter... and be proud (of you), that will choke you up.”

Later in the year, EquipmentShare would also host a holiday event that served as the backdrop for a surprise reunion between a U.S. Marine Corps trainee and his family. EquipmentShare employee Bobbi Malone’s son, Sincere, was undergoing training for the military and had leave for the holidays. He surprised his siblings at EquipmentShare’s “Santa’s Work Crew Powered by EquipmentShare” event and made the kids’ Christmas a memorable one.

“I’m grateful that EquipmentShare wanted us to have this kind of togetherness and make it special for Sincere,” Malone said. Watch the video of Sincere’s family reunion.
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EquipmentShare is committed to celebrating the nation’s veterans and providing them with a workplace where they can put their skills and experience to use. Are you a veteran or a service member returning to civilian life? Check out EquipmentShare’s job openings at equipmentshare.com/careers to find a role that suits your skillset.