From Veteran Friendly to Veteran Ready: Creating Opportunities and Building Partnerships for Military Talent
Originally published in International Paper's 2023 Sustainability Report
Spotlight: Honoring service, hiring veterans
Veterans contribute a unique set of skills, experiences and backgrounds to the workplace and to our communities. At International Paper, we are grateful for the sacrifices that our U.S. military veterans have made. We also recognize the value and skills that veterans have to offer — the proven ability to lead teams through ambiguous and challenging situations, learn new skills and concepts, and deliver timely results. One way we demonstrate our gratitude is by providing opportunities across all levels and career areas.
As we move from being Veteran Friendly to Veteran Ready, our Employee Network Circle IP Vets is creating a corporate culture that promotes visibility, recruitment, retention and knowledge of veterans. An open and inclusive group, IP Vets is made up of International Paper employees who are veterans of the armed forces of their respective countries and those who support veterans.
In June 2023, IP Vets teamed up with IP Recruiting and American Corporate Partners to hold a LinkedIn Live recruiting lunch and learn. To date, this event has resulted in over 250 veterans joining our talent network, which is used by our recruiters to create pipelines of potential candidates. We collected resumes and contact details of those in attendance so we can send notifications of job openings and IP updates, and keep them informed about our efforts with military recruitment.
We also established a partnership with the National Manufacturing Institute’s Heroes MAKE America program. This partnership seeks to build connections between the military community and the manufacturing industry. Along with staging a virtual career fair in November, which welcomed more than 370 participants, International Paper is also engaged with the Heroes MAKE America training program at our Savannah, Georgia Mill.
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of sustainable packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of the world's largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what's next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2023 were $18.9 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting internationalpaper.com/.
About International Paper - EMEA
In Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), International Paper focuses on the production and marketing of fiber-based packaging and specialty pulp, employing approximately 4,400 people. As a leading supplier of high-quality corrugated containers for a multitude of applications, we serve customers throughout the region from our network of two recycled containerboard mills and 23 box plants in France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. Specialty pulp is made in Gdansk, Poland. Other products available from International Paper in the region include a variety of Kraft linerboard and other pulp products.
