County Materials Corporation joins forces with veterans chamber

Matthew Day

Staff

August 5, 2024

MARATHON – Rebecca Sonnentag – executive vice president of marketing and communications with County Materials Corporation – said the concrete product manufacturer has long worked to aid and honor veterans and service members.

Sonnentag said County Materials – working hand in hand with its philanthropic organization the Sonnentag American Foundation – has volunteered to distribute care packages; donated money and construction materials to service memorials and tributes; and funded service dog training counseling, outdoor recreational experiences, housing assistance, education and skills training for veterans and service members. 

“Our family is patriotic,” she said. “We intentionally chose veterans and service members as a key giving area because of that pride in country and pride in wanting to support the people who sacrifice everything to keep us safe and free.”

Sonnentag said County Materials feels a responsibility and pride to support these “individuals who are laying their lives on the line and giving up a lot to ensure  we can do the things we do every day.”

“For us, supporting these initiatives feels like the right thing to do,” she said.

One of County Materials’ most important initiatives, Sonnentag said, has been its intentional recruiting of those who serve or have served in the military.

“We’ve worked to recognize and understand that veterans and service members face challenges when they come back from service and are re-entering our local communities,” she said. “What we are striving to do is make it easier for them to find a work home – to align their skill sets and find a purpose they can engage with and feel proud of.”

Camron Loll, vice president of human resources and a veteran himself, said when service men and women leave the military, “you lose a tight-knit team – almost a family in a way.”

“I think that’s some of what we can provide,” he said, “and I think that’s why we’re a good veteran employer – because when you come to us, you’re part of our family and our team.”

Loll said he’s been impressed with County Materials’ considerate support for service members in his 18 months with the company.

“I would give County a lot of credit,” he said. “When they recruited me, they realized not all veterans are the same. Some vets want to talk about their experience, some do not. Some want to be recognized, some do not. I think County does a good job understanding it’s an individual thing.” 

Between philanthropy and employment, both Sonnentag and Loll said County Materials’ efforts for veterans and service members have always been passionate – yet recently they sought to improve and formalize these efforts.

Seeking additional expertise and resources, they said, led to contacting the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce (WVCC).

Heart of gold

The WVCC fosters connections between businesses and service members, providing tools and resources, such as its Invest in Vets program, to aid in the recruitment, development and retention of veterans.

“County Materials sought out the WVCC after receiving our e-newsletter,” Shane Kanneberg, regional director at the WVCC, said. “They became interested in working with us around the Invest in Vets program and moved quickly to start analyzing their company. County Materials has had a bias toward action when it comes to making their workplace veteran-ready.”

Sonnentag said County Materials was intrigued by WVCC’s Invest in Vets program.

“Once we learned more about what that opportunity offers us as a business; how it can put us more directly in touch with veterans and service members and their families; and the resources it provides, it became a no-brainer for us to invest in a Gold Membership for that program,” she said. 

The WVCC’s Gold Membership includes a full business consultation, which Loll and Sonnentag said offers insightful guidance regarding internal and external communications.

“We are looking at our (recruitment) ads to make sure we are putting them in the verbiage vets will understand,” Loll said. “We train our staff internally to be veteran-friendly – so they’ll understand military occupational specialty (MOS) in jobs and things like that.”

Sonnentag said County Materials has been working hard to align individuals with their MOSs and identify their key experiences, interests and the way they want to engage with the organization and other team members.

“We’re trying to bring more awareness to our managers and team members in general – to appreciate that (veterans) bring some unique, valuable things to us we can all learn from,” she said.

Beyond the WVCC consultation, Loll said other benefits of the Gold Membership include:

• An invitation to present a breakout session at the WVCC’s annual business conference
• Featured inclusion in WVCC’s materials and directory
• A seat on the WVCC Leadership Advisory Board
• Full access to resources, member information, event marketing, employment posting and business advocacy
• Discount buying programs 

“Our membership helps (County Materials) in terms of beefing up our recruitment and our retention efforts,” Sonnentag said. “It gives us direct access to (WVCC’s) network of partners within different communities and the different resources that help align veterans and service members with workforce opportunities.”

Sonnentag said the WVCC is helping County Materials build a mentoring program and new leadership development and skills training.

“It gives us access to resources we might not have known about and a more direct line of communication to candidates,” he said.

Kanneberg said WVCC’s statewide network and resource base is “as wide as it is deep.” 

“We can connect (companies) with opportunities and individuals that will benefit any-sized business and create workplaces that excel through supporting the skills and abilities innate to the veteran community,” he said. “The ultimate goal in mind is to ensure the success of our veteran-owned and veteran-friendly businesses to meet our mission of making Wisconsin the best state in the nation for veterans and their families. When we meet this mission, the whole state benefits.”

Of the present 396 members of the WVCC, County Materials is the only business listed with a Gold Membership.

Sonnentag and Loll said the membership is positive for the company, for the chamber and for service members.

“It’s a commitment we are going to implement and follow through on some of the key initiatives that as a Gold Member we’re expected to do,” Sonnentag said. “It was also a great spark for us to kick off some other things… it became this momentum builder for us.”

Loll said its participation in the WVCC is part of County Materials commitment to the community and the State of Wisconsin, veterans specifically.

“We can help the chamber of commerce to grow their mission,” he said. “It also allows us to focus and utilize the resources they can provide so we can push ahead our relationship with our veterans internally.”

Kanneberg said he’s grateful for County Materials’ membership, describing the company as “an ideal fit.”

He said via the WVCC, companies can serve as examples to others by “investing in heroes.”

“When a business chooses to work with us, they’re taking the first steps in understanding the immense value of hiring veterans – raising their profile in the veteran community and community at large,” he said. “They are ensuring the WVCC can continue serving the business community for years to come.”

Not a sprint

Founded in Marathon more than 75 years ago, Sonnentag said County Materials now has more than 2,000 employees producing its concrete construction and landscaping products at facilities in six different states.

Sonnentag and Loll said the company’s knowledge, knack for service and collaboration, reliability and its depth of products – from large insulated wall panels for warehouses and bridge girders and concrete pipe for infrastructure, to small concrete patio pavers – are some of the reasons County Materials is the top choice for its industry partners.

But the main reason for the company’s long-term success, they said, is its people – many of whom have maintained long careers at County Materials. 

“The testament to the strength and longevity of our company is hinged on having quality and dedicated team members who go above and beyond,” Sonnentag said. “Many times, they refer or recommend their family or friends to work for the County organization, and I don’t know of a greater testament than that.”

Loll and Sonnentag also said County Materials is strengthened by its many veterans and service members employees – and seeks to grow even stronger with this segment – with guidance and assistance from the WVCC.

Sonnentag said those with military experience tend to possess strong work ethic, determination, affinity for teamwork and mechanical aptitude. 

“Whether or not (team members) are veterans or service members, we welcome anybody who wants to come into our organization,” she said. “But I think it’s an extra special advantage when it’s people who have skill sets, drive and this built-in pride in their work and way of thinking, that when they come to our organization, they hopefully have found a home – and I think the (WVCC) is helping us to establish that relationship.” 

To learn more about County Materials Corporation, visit countymaterials.com.

For more on the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce, check out wiveteranschamber.org.