SUNBELT Rentals has received the MOD’s Gold Armed Forces Covenant Award for the firm’s support of defence service personnel and veterans, reservists, cadet force adult volunteers, service family members, and partner organisations.
The award is given to companies following an application process and scrutiny by an MOD selection board, chaired by a senior military officer.
Andy Wright, Sunbelt Rentals’ chief executive, said, “We are delighted to have been awarded Gold Employer Recognition Status by the MOD. The veteran community is integral to our workforce and this award is testament to the hard work and commitment from both our own team and the external teams that we work with in this critical area.
“For us, transitioning veterans into our business makes perfect sense, as they bring readymade knowledge and expertise; tenacity; resilience and the ability to work collectively within a team to deliver results. We are delighted to have been recognised, at the highest level, for our work in this area.”
Mick Ledden, MD, energy solutions at Sunbelt Rentals, and Royal Navy veteran, added, “Being awarded the Gold Covenant award makes a clear statement to both veterans and serving personnel, that Sunbelt Rentals stand with them, and that we want to offer an exciting and meaningful career path in achieving their current and future career endeavours. Our Sunbelt veterans community offers a home-from-home, and we’re keen to recruit many more veterans over the coming months and years as we achieve our exciting growth plans.”
Sunbelt Rentals revealed it has so far identified over 110 veterans within the business. Paul Urey, information security risk and compliance manager and Sunbelt’s British Armed Forces veteran ambassador, commented, “The achievement of the Gold Award shows the intent and investment that Sunbelt has given not only to the veterans that it employs, but also to the veteran community as a whole. I am immensely proud to work for an organisation that not only understands the sacrifices of those serving in the armed forces, but also the transferrable skills that they learn that make them valuable employees.”
Ben Jenkins, regional SHEQ manager and Royal Marines Commando ambassador, added, “Having recently left the forces, I was apprehensive about how I would fit into an organisation outside of the MOD. I feel that Sunbelt Rentals delivers and encourages the values and standards ingrained from my time in the military.”
These thoughts were echoed by Steve Cartwright, HGV driver and RAF ambassador. Steve said, “I was full of trepidation at leaving the RAF after 37 years. I consider myself very lucky in finding Sunbelt Rentals as my first employer after leaving. The sense of belonging and the appreciation I feel from the company as whole are something I really didn’t think I would encounter in my civilian employment life.”
Jackie Cuthbert, social impact director at Sunbelt Rentals, said, “We are fully committed to becoming the ‘go to’ place in our sectors for service leavers and veterans and welcome speculative applications for roles such as engineers, drivers, project managers, digital IT & cyber security across the UK. We are working closely with our colleagues in North America to develop world-class global veterans programme, to help us resource, recruit, recognise and retain our veterans as key members of our team going forward.”
