ATLANTA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company's
long-standing commitment to recruiting both active and veteran
military has earned the company recognition as a top employer by
three publications. DiversityInc ranked Southern Company sixth on
its 2016 Top 10 Companies for Veterans list. CivilianJobs
recognized the company as a Most Valuable Employer (MVE) for
Military, and Military Times EDGE named Southern Company "Best for
Vets: Employers 2016," marking the seventh consecutive year for
both.
"We are honored to be recognized as a top employer for these
brave men and women," said Mark S.
Lantrip, president and CEO of Southern Company Services.
"Their dedication, commitment to safety, teamwork and excellence in
all they do mirror Southern Company's culture."
Currently, 10 percent of the Southern Company system's 26,000
employees and 18 percent of new hires this year are veterans,
guardsmen or reservists. Approximately 34 percent of subsidiary
Georgia Power's new hires at Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4 – two of
the first carbon-free nuclear units being built in the U.S. in a
generation – are veterans. At the Kemper County energy facility,
where subsidiary Mississippi Power is advancing energy innovation
through the construction of the world's most advanced coal plant,
23 percent of new hires have prior military service.
Southern Company is a founding partner of the Troops to Energy
Jobs program, a recruiting source that links veterans to job
openings in the energy industry, and actively recruits members of
the U.S. Navy as a Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program partner. In
addition, Southern Company supports the Joining Forces initiative,
participates in more than 30 military recruitment events annually
and partners with military transition centers across the
country.
Beyond its commitment to hiring veterans, Southern Company,
through its subsidiaries, is the only energy company in the
industry to partner with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine
Corps and U.S. Air Force to develop large-scale solar projects.
DiversityInc's annual survey offers companies with more than
1,000 U.S.-based employees to enter, and companies are ranked based
on an objective analysis of nearly 200 separate factors. The
CivilianJobs MVEs are selected annually based on those employers
whose recruiting, training and retention plans best serve military
service members and veterans. The Best for Vets: Employer 2016, by
Military Times EDGE, surveyed more than 1,000 major companies and
top government contractors about their recruiting and hiring
policies, social recognition for veterans, and pay and benefits for
reservists.
With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 44,000
megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is
the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its
subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and
affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in
four states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale
customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of
customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless
communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent
customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are
below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment
to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing
America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy
resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21st century
coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating
new products and services for the benefit of
customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S.
Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs
magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50
Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise
magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and
designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The
company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History
from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and
commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among
the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most
Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at
www.southerncompany.com.
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SOURCE Southern Company