NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 10, 2021) -- ATECH Inc., a Nashville-based restaurant equipment parts and service provider, has received the HIRE Vets Gold Medallion Award, the only federal-level veterans’ employment award that recognizes an organization’s commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development.
ATECH is one of only a few businesses based in Davidson County to receive a HIRE Vets Medallion in 2021. To qualify for the Gold Medallion, ATECH met and surpassed the required percentage of veteran new hires during the previous year. This year is ATECH’s second time receiving the award.
“ATECH is proud to have veterans on our team who provide outstanding service to our commercial restaurant clients,” said Charlie Kunberger, Chief Operating Officer at ATECH, “Our veterans’ work ethic, leadership skills, and positive attitudes are an invaluable part of our organization. Right now, nearly every small business in Nashville is navigating hiring and retention challenges. I would encourage every employer to consider local veterans as one of Nashville’s most valuable labor and leadership resources.”
William Risener, a field technical service manager at ATECH, joined the U.S. Navy when he was 18 years old as a boiler technician. He reached the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class after a seven-year Navy career, completing two tours during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and a deployment to Somalia in 1994.
“It seems just like yesterday. It was very trying and very demanding,” said Risener. “Eighteen to twenty hours a day on your feet working with minimal downtime, working in an engine room that reached about 130 degrees. But, I consider my time in the military priceless. The discipline, the maturity, the opportunities. It’s just priceless.”
Regarding veterans in the workplace, Risener said, “Veterans can bring a dedication like no other - the structure, the discipline, the mentality, the work ethic. Because it’s instilled in you to do your job but to also make sure you can assist others. We’re expected to show up to work every day, look our best, be our best, and perform our best.”
“That’s why I’m a manager at ATECH,” he explained. “I’m reliable, I’m dependable, and I do my job to the best of my ability every day. I’m there until the job is done.”
According to the latest U.S. Census data, there are 29,022 veterans residing in Davidson County, Tennessee. Fifty-one percent of local veterans are below the age of 65. Ninety-four percent of local veterans 25 years old and older have a high school diploma or higher compared to 89 percent of the non-veteran population.
To learn more about the HIRE Vets Medallion Award program, visit
HIREVets.gov.
About ATECH Incorporated
Established in 1990, ATECH is a locally and family-owned company that's committed to providing high-quality work for every customer, servicing all of Tennessee and parts of Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. ATECH operates with CFESA Level 3 certification, the highest level of certification given by the Commercial Food Equipment Service Association, which ensures its capability to repair, replace, ship, receive, warehouse, fabricate, and install commercial equipment. For more information, visit
www.atechinfo.com.
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