Gulf Power Company has been named one of the most military-friendly companies in the nation.

The company and its parent firm Southern Company placed second in this year’s annual G.I. Jobs 2012 Top 100 Military Friendly Employers ^® listing, out of more than 5,000 companies considered. The criteria includes a company’s long-term commitment to hiring former military, the strength of the company’s military recruiting efforts and their policies towards the National Guard and the Reserves.   

“Gulf Power and Southern Company recognize that veterans make great employees and we actively recruit veterans to join the company,” said Natalie Smith, Gulf Power spokesperson. “This G.I. Jobs ranking serves as a great guide for us to measure how we are doing and will hopefully help our recruiting efforts.”

In 2010, Southern Company hired 137 veterans, and as of the third quarter of 2011, 196 veterans have been hired. The ranking will be featured in the magazine’s December 2011 issue. To view the listing of the companies, click here.

Gulf Power has actively recruited military servicemen and women over the years by working directly with local military bases and partnering with other utilities to develop “Troops to Energy Jobs,” an effort to link military veterans to job openings in the energy industry.

Military personnel who are interested in applying for a job at Gulf Power can go to www.southerncompany.com and click on “Careers.” Veterans who are interested in the “Troops to Energy Jobs” program can go to www.cewd.org and look for the “Troops to Energy Jobs” section.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 430,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible electric service to our customers while working to improve the communities we serve. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”