June 30, 2025 Publisher’s Letter

Volume 28 | Issue 2

Some 200,000 military service members transition from active duty to the civilian workforce every year. That’s a huge talent pool to tap into, if employers know where to look and job seekers know how to make themselves known.

Indeed, employment assistance is the number one requested service from these transitioning military members. The nonprofit Hire Heroes USA helps provide this assistance to former military personnel and their spouses and works with companies to hire and retain veterans.

For example, Aubrey Gonzalez of 3ZBrands describes in From the Front Lines to the Factory Floor how U.S. Marine veteran Victor H. Lopez applied his military experience in operational safety to the company’s Safety Manager role at its Phoenix manufacturing facility. Through its collaboration with Hire Heroes, Gonzalez writes that, “3Z focuses on identifying where veterans’ capabilities, such as operational discipline, technical expertise, and a commitment to teamwork, fit seamlessly into its…organizational needs.”

Jay Koranda, Vice President of Recruiting, Orion Talent, a Hire Heroes partner, points out the need for employers to focus more on a skills-based approach to potential talent that emphasizes real-world capabilities over college credentials and job titles, which is the foundation of successful military hiring. Military Hiring: A Blueprint for a Skills-Based Workforce outlines key steps of a military recruitment model.

One challenge for veterans is that structured military life doesn’t always translate to the civilian corporate landscape. Working with Hire Heroes, TK Elevator, builds strong career pathways for former service members; how the company sets up new military hires for success is described in Letting Veterans Up. Another Hire Heroes partner, Advance Auto Parts, is “veteran ready” with mentorship and skill-bridge programs designed specifically for veterans. Read more about it in From Service to Strength: Why Hiring Veterans is a Strategic Advantage.

In our regular insight features, Capital Investment in Stem details how Capital Power partners with the Discovery Education STEM Careers Coalition to interest young people in energy industry careers. And Harry Moser looks at reshoring strategies in response to uncertain geopolitical conditions and U.S. tariff policies in Crisis in the Workforce: Can Reshoring Continue Despite Skills Gap.

Economic development is key to manufacturing growth, jobs development, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, and urban revitalization. Be sure to check out our various articles on economic development in the cities of Sacramento, Calif, Lincoln, Neb., and New York City, as well as in western Pennsylvania.

Enjoy this quarterly digital issue of Industry Today. As always, you can look for more of the latest news and updates concerning manufacturing and industry at industrytoday.com.

Subscribe to Industry Today