Southern Company honored as top military employer

News provided by

May 24, 2016, 11:33 ET

ATLANTA, May 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company's long-standing commitment to recruiting both active and veteran military has earned the company recognition as a top employer by three publications. DiversityInc ranked Southern Company sixth on its 2016 Top 10 Companies for Veterans list. CivilianJobs recognized the company as a Most Valuable Employer (MVE) for Military, and Military Times EDGE named Southern Company "Best for Vets: Employers 2016," marking the seventh consecutive year for both.

"We are honored to be recognized as a top employer for these brave men and women," said Mark S. Lantrip, president and CEO of Southern Company Services. "Their dedication, commitment to safety, teamwork and excellence in all they do mirror Southern Company's culture."

Currently, 10 percent of the Southern Company system's 26,000 employees and 18 percent of new hires this year are veterans, guardsmen or reservists. Approximately 34 percent of subsidiary Georgia Power's new hires at Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4 – two of the first carbon-free nuclear units being built in the U.S. in a generation – are veterans. At the Kemper County energy facility, where subsidiary Mississippi Power is advancing energy innovation through the construction of the world's most advanced coal plant, 23 percent of new hires have prior military service.

Southern Company is a founding partner of the Troops to Energy Jobs program, a recruiting source that links veterans to job openings in the energy industry, and actively recruits members of the U.S. Navy as a Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program partner. In addition, Southern Company supports the Joining Forces initiative, participates in more than 30 military recruitment events annually and partners with military transition centers across the country.

Beyond its commitment to hiring veterans, Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, is the only energy company in the industry to partner with the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force to develop large-scale solar projects.

DiversityInc's annual survey offers companies with more than 1,000 U.S.-based employees to enter, and companies are ranked based on an objective analysis of nearly 200 separate factors. The CivilianJobs MVEs are selected annually based on those employers whose recruiting, training and retention plans best serve military service members and veterans. The Best for Vets: Employer 2016, by Military Times EDGE, surveyed more than 1,000 major companies and top government contractors about their recruiting and hiring policies, social recognition for veterans, and pay and benefits for reservists.

With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 44,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America's energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21^st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080801/SOCOLOGO

SOURCE Southern Company