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Company honored for support of employees on active military duty
Joseph Lyons is back on the job keeping worksites safe for The Boldt Company—because Boldt took care of him while he was keeping troops safe in Iraq. Lyons returned from active duty with the Army Reserve to find his job as a safety representative with Boldt waiting for him with no lapse in his pay or benefits.
On Friday, May 21, 2010, Lyons will present the Patriot Award to The Boldt Company. The award is presented by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve through the United States Department of Defense. The Patriot Award recognizes employers who support a strong National Guard and Reserve force. This is the second time Boldt has received this award; the first was for supporting another employee while he was on active duty in Iraq in 2003.
While Lyons was on active duty in 2009, The Boldt Company continued his pay and benefits—Lyons felt this was outstanding support and nominated the company for the Patriot Award. “At first when I saw my check, I thought it was a mistake,” Lyons said. “I was deployed with a lot of guys who were worried about their jobs and families back home, but Boldt took care of me so I had no worries when I got home.”
Lyons’ duty was to supply all ammunition troops need for their missions in Iraq and he also served in Kuwait. He has been in the Army Reserves for 12 years and has the rank of staff sergeant. When Boldt hired him, they knew active duty was a possibility during his employment. Of the firm’s employees nationwide, ten are reservists and Lyons is the only one who has served on active duty.
“We are proud of Joseph and all those who defend our country,” CEO Tom Boldt said. “It is our honor to recognize their service and it’s our duty to support them while they are overseas.” Boldt’s father and Chairman of The Boldt Company, Oscar C. Boldt, is a veteran of World War II where he served as a navigator in the Air Force flying bombing missions out of Italy.
LeRoy Frahm is a volunteer member of the Wisconsin committee that reviews the nominations and will present the award. “Today, our country relies more and more on men and women who serve in the guard and reserve to step away from their homes and jobs to defend the country,” Frahm said. “This award is intended to recognize the employers who take care of the home front so the troops can concentrate on their mission.”
Lyons says military service was always important to him—his father is a Viet Nam Veteran. “To know I could concentrate on our mission and not worry about how bills were getting paid or if my job would be there when I came home was a great gift.”
As a safety representative for Boldt, Lyons is charged with ensuring job sites are safe and that workers are following all safety procedures. He is thankful his employer kept his job safe while he was gone and he felt honored to come back stateside and to return to an employer that supported his patriotic duty.
“I’m never leaving this company,” Lyons said. “I’m proud to come back to work–they’ll have to kick me out of here!”
The Boldt Company provides professional construction services to customers in a variety of industrial, institutional, healthcare, commercial and renewable energy markets nationwide. Boldt is among the top-ranked general contractors in the nation and has 13 offices throughout the United States. http://www.boldt.com.
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About the Patriot Award
The Patriot Award recognizes employers who support a strong National Guard and Reserve force. Employers qualify for recognition when they practice leadership and personnel policies that support employee participation in the Guard and Reserve. Employers who receive the Patriot Award are eligible for consideration for other awards and recognition based on their level of support described in the nomination narrative.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense (DoD) organization. ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers. For more information, visithttp://www.esgr.org
