SAN MARCOS, TX — Berry Aviation, Inc. has been named the winner of the 2020 Outstanding Midsize Employer of the Year Award by DAV (Disabled American Veterans). The award recognizes businesses with 250 to 999 employees that demonstrate by their employment policies, hiring practices and community outreach that they have an unwavering commitment and passion to ensure all veterans obtain suitable employment to care for themselves and their families—and have the opportunity to live life with respect and dignity.
“It is an honor to be recognized nationally as a company that values the lives and talents of our Veterans,” said Stan Finch, President of Berry Aviation. “It is an even greater honor to serve at home and abroad alongside these men and women that gave so much to the service of our nation. Over the years, Berry Aviation has truly benefited from the experience and perspectives that our Veterans bring to the table. We’re grateful for each Veteran that is a member of our Berry Aviation team.”
Berry Aviation has established ongoing relationships with over a dozen local and national veterans groups and organizations that promote veteran workforce opportunities. This outreach has resulted in an impressive veterans hiring rate of greater than 35% over the past 5 years. By comparison, the Federal hiring benchmark is 7%. Due in part to this focused approach, roughly a third of Berry Aviation’s current employees are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Warren Orr, the Senior Director of Human Resources for Berry Aviation, shared the company’s experience with hiring and working alongside veterans. “At Berry Aviation, we’ve found that our veterans bring skills and a work ethic that easily translates into high quality, measurable results and leads to consistently satisfied customers.” He continued, “We are proud that today, and throughout our 37-year history, veterans have made us their employer of choice. We honor and respect our veterans and their families and are grateful for the sacrifices they have made in service to our country.”
DAV national awards are typically announced at the organization’s annual convention. Due to COVID-19, this year’s convention was cancelled for only the second time in the organization’s 100-year history (the first was in 1942 due to WWII).
Representatives from Berry Aviation will be formally recognized during the DAV & Auxiliary Virtual Salute scheduled for Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. EDT on DAV’s website (www.dav.org/virtualsalute). Prior to receipt of the national award, the company was recognized as the DAV Department of Texas winner.
Berry Aviation, Inc. is a member of the Acorn Growth Companies family. The company was established in 1983 and has developed a strong reputation as a dynamic, customer-focused company experienced in providing solutions to its customers’ most complex challenges. The company specializes in delivering rapidly mobilized, multi-role aviation solutions to austere locations with a range of services and flight capabilities including On-Demand Cargo, Passenger, Aerial Delivery, CASEVAC/MEDEVAC, Night Vision Goggle, and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance). In addition, they provide an array of maintenance and component repair, overhaul, and modification services plus supply chain and parts distribution.
About DAV:
DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: fulfilling our promises to the men and women who served. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them, fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill, providing employment resources to veterans and their families, and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a nonprofit organization with more than 1 million veteran members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932. Learn more at www.dav.org.
