We Hire Heroes

On this Veterans Day, Sugaright would like to take an opportunity to thank all those who have served our country. Sugaright is proud to count many veterans among our team including two of our Plant Managers.

Mark Gonzalez, Plant Manager, Fairless Hills, PA, started his military career in college as an ROTC cadet at Penn State University where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in the Quartermaster Corps. He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan including roles as a Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, and as an Embedded Tactical Trainer with the Afghan National Army. He eventually left the military as a Captain.

When asked how his military experience has prepared him to run a refining operation, Mark replied:

“The military taught me to be the leader that I am today. The biggest thing I learned from the military was to always take care of my people as they are our most important asset. As a plant manager at Sugaright, I try to achieve success by taking care of my team and letting them know I appreciate them and their input is greatly valued. I have carried that throughout my civilian career.”

Clay Rankin, Plant Manager, Harrisonburg, VA served in the US Navy for six years. A graduate of the Naval Nuclear Power program, Clay spent part of his service aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise. His extensive training made it possible for him to receive college credits from Old Dominion University where he was eventually awarded a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Clay’s words:

“My military service gave me an appreciation for the importance of training and preventive maintenance, which is of critical importance in manufacturing. I also learned management skills and concepts that I still use today. My military experience prepared me to become a leader.”

Based on his positive experience with leaders such as Mark and Clay, Andrew Moschea, Sugaright Chief Operating Officer, encourages the plant managers to hire heroes:

"We are grateful to all veterans who have served our country and those who continue to serve and protect. As an organization, we reciprocate our gratitude for their service through our hiring process. We find that veterans make excellent employees, consistent with our efforts to build a culture where accountability is clear and personal. The military does an outstanding job of instilling the values of integrity and perseverance. Finally, we find the skills learned during military service are highly transferable to the capabilities that we look for in our employees."

Thank you veterans for your service to our country.

And thank you Sugaright veterans for instilling your values and using your skills in our workplace.