ATLANTA, Nov. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For the ninth consecutive year, Southern Company is the highest-ranked utility and No. 11 overall in G.I. Jobs' annual Top 100 Military Friendly Employer® listing.
The 2016 list ranks the company as the nation's best utility for veterans, guardsmen and reservists. The list is compiled from more than 5,000 companies with annual revenues of at least $500 million. Selection criteria include the strength of the company's military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs and company policies that encourage and support National Guard and Reserve servicemen and women.
Southern Company has a long-standing commitment to the military. Ten percent of its 26,000 employees – and 14 percent of new hires so far in 2015 – are veterans, guardsmen or reservists. Thirty-four percent of subsidiary Georgia Power's new hires at Plant Vogtle 3 and 4 – two of the country's first new nuclear units being built in a generation – are veterans. At the Kemper County energy facility, where subsidiary Mississippi Power is advancing energy innovation with the construction of a 21st century coal plant, 23 percent of new hires have prior military service.
"The commitment of our nation's veterans to duty, honor and discipline mirror Southern Company's core values," said President and CEO of Southern Company Services Mark S. Lantrip. "We are honored to be a top employer of choice for these exceptionally talented and brave men and women."
Additionally, 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 Navy as a Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program partner. Southern Company has pledged to support the Joining Forces initiative, participates annually in more than 30 military recruitment events and partners with military transition centers across the country. Today, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are the only electric utilities in the nation to partner with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force to develop innovative energy projects both on and off base.
Moreover, Southern Company is the only energy company recognized in the Top 10 Companies for Veterans by DiversityInc in 2015. For the sixth consecutive year, the company was voted "Best for Vets Employer" by Military Times EDGE magazine and the Most Valuable Employers for Military® by CivilianJobs.com.
With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 46,000 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 and a growing competitive generation company, 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 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, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a 2014 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company earned the 2014 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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