ATLANTA – On Friday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, Southern Company (NYSE: SO) unveiled a bronze statue to honor its military workforce.  The artwork, “Honoring Our Heroes,” is a tribute symbolizing the company’s support of the military.

“We believe those who have served or are serving in the military bring a proven commitment of pride, duty, honor and discipline, which adds significant value to our company’s overall success,” said Thomas A. Fanning, chairman, president and CEO, Southern Company. “I want to give a special thanks to our nearly 3,000 employees who are veterans or reservists. As a company, we appreciate and stand by the selfless efforts of these men and women.”

The statue, by Gregory Johnson, will be on display at the Southern Company headquarters in downtown Atlanta.  It will be flanked by an inscription mounted on the wall that reads, in part, “Southern Company is rich with true patriots and extraordinary people who make our company and country great.”

Veterans or reservists make up about 11 percent of Southern Company’s 26,000 employees. Included in that group is DeWayne Wilson, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant (retired) and Purple Heart recipient. He joined Fanning in unveiling the commissioned artwork. Click here to view a video of the unveiling.

“As a veteran, I know how special Southern Company is for actively hiring veterans and for its support of employees who are deployed,” said Wilson.  “This statute is a wonderful symbol of the many ways Southern Company supports the U.S. military.”

Southern Company makes up the difference between military pay and company pay while military personnel are on active duty.  Company policy for reservists and guardsmen called to active duty also allows these men and women to serve their nation without worrying about the status of their jobs when they return home.

Southern Company also participates in the national Troops to Energy Jobs program as another recruiting tool that establishes a process of linking veterans to job openings in the energy industry.

The company’s ongoing history of supporting military personnel has earned it several recognitions, including the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, which is the highest honor given by the Department of Defense to employers for support of employees who serve in the National Guard or Reserve; the Pro Patria Award for its leadership in providing benefits to military employees; the top-rated utility on the 2011 list of the nation’s most military-friendly employers released by G.I. Jobs magazine; one of only 25 companies to receive the second annual Most Valuable Employer for Military Award by Civilian Job News in 2010; and the 4^th ranked nationally on Military Times magazine’s Best for Vets top 50 employer list.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 42,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of 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 retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company was named the World’s Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility by Fortune magazine in 2011, and is consistently listed among the top U.S. electric service providers in customer satisfaction by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.