Welcome back! My goal is to educate and excite you about all that Goodwill does for our community and what it can possibly do for you and/or your business! If this is the first blog you have read in this series, please feel free to see how it all got started from my first entry here.
This week I will be discussing our partnership with Orbital ATK and IBM. These companies have operations in Rocket Center, WV. Like many government contractor operations, there is a need for a level of candor. Researching the facility only tells of high level operations that involve the development of rocket boosters and high caliber ammunition. Most importantly as it relates to this discussion, is the fact that the facilities house about 1,000 jobs for the Cumberland and surrounding area job markets. 
Then there are the ancillary jobs that these facilities helps to create, like those held by our Goodwill employees. All of those workers create a need for the collection and processing of their recyclables. From our facility in Cumberland, MD, our staff load up a van once a week and travel about 15 miles to service the Rocket Center facilities. This creates an employment opportunity for 5 individuals! Once on site, 
they canvas the building and gather recyclables to bring back to our Cumberland facility for further processing. Our clients learn the importance of being proficient with their time and following the instruction of a supervisor. All of the experience they gain on the job through Horizon Goodwill helps to build their resumes for competitive employment in the open job market. 
Thanks for reading! Please feel free to contact me with questions or comments regarding the blog or what our Business Services division can do for you! bmarks@goodwill-hgi.org