Source:  National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA), www.navoba.com/top10

Contact:  Matthew Pavelek, (412) 269-1663 x145, matthew.pavelek@navoba.com

NaVOBA Honors 10 Best Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses

PITTSBURGH, May 19, 2009 – The National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) announced today its 10 Best Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses for 2009.

The list of honorees was published in a story gracing the cover of the June issue of NaVOBA’s Vetrepreneur magazine and includes some perennial performers like Booz Allen Hamilton, DynCorp International and AT&T, along with one notable newcomer: Deere & Company. The honored companies also include Sprint Nextel, Alcatel-Lucent, Comcast Corporation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Volvo Trucks North America/Mack Trucks Inc., and UPS.

The list honors the large corporations that do the most to reach and use the nation’s three million veteran-owned businesses in their supply chains. 

“NaVOBA has been very successful in making sure corporate America understands that doing business with veteran-owned businesses isn’t about doing something good for those who’ve served this country,” said Chris Hale, NaVOBA president. “We ensure that these companies understand that doing business with VOBs makes good business sense. Military training – which engrains troops with such qualities as leadership, teamwork, accountability, ambition and a tireless work ethic – serves as the best business training in the world.  Veteran-owned businesses are well run; and large corporations that use them as suppliers benefit as a result.”

The notion that military training is world-class preparation for running a business is backed up by the fact that one out of every seven veterans in the U.S. owns a business, according to Census data.  Only one out of every 14 non-veterans owns a business.

Randall L. Stephenson, chairman and chief executive officer for AT&T, echoed this sentiment. “With their military backgrounds, veterans bring valuable insight to our supply chain, and we benefit greatly from their expertise in logistics and operations. Working with veteran-owned businesses not only helps our bottom line but also helps us deliver the best products and services to our customers,” Stephenson said.

"It is such an honor to be named to NaVOBA’s 10 Best Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses," said Gene Agee, vice president of Supply Chain Management for Sprint Nextel. "At Sprint, we recognize the unique value that veterans bring to our company. Veteran-owned businesses bring creativity, professionalism and a pragmatic approach to Sprint, which helps us to provide solutions that attract and retain our customers.”

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