Steelcase Named Silver-Level 2022 Veteran-Friendly Employer by Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency

Grand Rapids, Michigan, Nov. 10, 2022 – Dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, Steelcase has been named a Silver-Level 2022 Veteran Friendly Employer by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

Thanks to the work of an internal business inclusion group called Steelcase Salutes, the company is one of 61 silver-level employers in the state and in the top 15% of all Michigan businesses to earn the award, which recognizes the organization’s work in becoming a more welcoming and inclusive workplace for veterans.

To obtain the silver designation, the employee-led veteran group worked to validate and meet the MVAA’s specific criteria, including HR business processes for onboarding veterans, such as providing special emails and information kits, as well as tracking and maintaining hiring goals and reporting them to the state of Michigan.

“We are thankful to the MVAA for this recognition as it verifies for military families that Steelcase is invested in supporting their community,” said Tim Merkle, Marine veteran, director business operations for the Steelcase retail team and Steelcase Salutes founder. “Our mission is to create an inclusive veteran ecosystem across our company and the communities we serve.”

Understanding the intrinsic human need for community and connection, Steelcase Salutes is comprised of veterans and allies who work to support and advocate for a veteran-friendly environment at Steelcase in various ways, ranging from organization-wide events to individual outreach. The group additionally works with the MVAA and the Steelcase Wellbeing Hub to support veterans’ mental health and engage families and fellow employees through commemorative events and team building activities.

The MVAA recognizes employers that commit to military veteran recruitment, training and retention practices by awarding those employers gold, silver and bronze level status as Veteran-Friendly Employers. MVAA’s Veteran-Friendly Employer program helps qualified organizations recruit and retain top veteran talent while providing others a road map to improve their recruitment efforts.

“Steelcase is a longtime employer of veterans and I am proud to see them join the ranks of our Silver-level Veteran-Friendly Employers,” said MVAA Director Zaneta Adams. “As we work to make Michigan the premier location for veterans to live, work and play, it is so important to have the support of global companies like Steelcase to attract veterans to our state. I look forward to our continued partnership and watching Steelcase Salutes support their military-connected employees.”

To learn more about the MVAA’s Veteran Friendly Employers list, visit michigan.gov/mvaa

Steelcase has been recognized by third-party organizations around the world for its commitments to people. The organization has received several awards including Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign, Best Employer for Women Award by Forbes, Shaw sustain[HUMAN]ability® Leadership Award, Civic 50 Award, and more.

About Steelcase
Organizations around the world trust Steelcase to help them create places that help people work better, be inspired and accomplish more. The company designs, manufactures and partners with other leading organizations to provide architecture, furniture, and technology solutions – accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 Steelcase dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading, and publicly traded company with fiscal year 2022 revenue of $2.8 billion. For more information, visit steelcase.com