AEP Honored As Top 100 Military-friendly Employer

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Nov 05, 2013, 11:22 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) has been recognized as one of the nation's top 100 "military-friendly" employers by G.I. Jobs Magazine.

This year's honorees were selected from among more than 5,000 employers with annual revenues of at least $500 million. The December 2013 edition of G.I. Jobs, which features the list of military-friendly employers, can be accessed at http://www.gijobs.com/.

"AEP is dedicated to recruiting, hiring and supporting military veterans, who have the technical skills we need as well as the personal characteristics we value, such as leadership, teamwork and decision making," said Nicholas K. Akins, AEP president and chief executive officer. "We are honored to be named a top 100 military-friendly employer."

The honored companies were selected based on their assets dedicated to military hiring, the strength of their recruiting programs, and their policies regarding National Guard and reserve service, among other criteria.

Approximately 1,770 of AEP's roughly 18,100 employees have served in the military. AEP's military leave policy provides pay differential and benefits for up to two years for reservists and National Guard members who are called to active duty in emergency situations. When employees are off work for required annual military training, AEP will make up the difference between military pay and their AEP base wage – up to 10 days each calendar year. In addition, the company's family military leave policy allows employees to take up to 10 days of leave to spend time with a family member who has been called to or returned from active duty.

G.I. Jobs helps provide training and career opportunities for veterans and those in transition from military to civilian employment.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5.3 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation's largest electricity transmission system, a 40,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP's transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP's utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP's headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.