Company Selected for Michigan 'Pro Patria' Award; Nominated for National 'Employer Support Freedom Award'
TROY, Mich., May 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ArvinMeritor, Inc. has earned the highest level award in Michigan for providing exceptional support to its employees who serve in the U.S. military and is in contention for a similar national award from the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
The Michigan Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) will present ArvinMeritor with the Pro Patria award for providing exceptional support to its Guard and Reserve employees on May 30 at the regional awards dinner in Grand Blanc, Mich. The group selected ArvinMeritor over 26 other Michigan nominees in the large business category. It also nominated the company to represent Michigan in the national competition for the prestigious Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.
"We're pleased the committee has recognized ArvinMeritor's efforts to support our employees who serve in the military. The real honors, however, should go directly to those brave and loyal service members who put themselves at risk day after day for our country," said Chip McClure, chairman, CEO and president. "ArvinMeritor is proud of its long history of supporting our men and women in uniform, but we don't view it as simply an obligation. We believe it's not only the right thing to do, but it's a rewarding way to sustain and encourage them while they're serving, and to welcome them back and thank them for their service when they return."
McClure, a former naval officer, makes a point to stay in touch with the company's service members to remind them that their fellow employees appreciate the sacrifices they and their families are making.
ArvinMeritor's military leave program includes:
-- Paying the difference between military pay and the employee's base
salary so that the employee's family can maintain their current standard
of living.
-- Employees receiving pay differential continue to earn savings plan
benefits.
-- Employees on military leave can elect to maintain their company benefits
package while on leave.
-- Vacation accruals continue while on military leave.
-- Over the last five years, 74 employees have taken one period of military
leave - forty-one of those employees received pay differential from the
company.
"The Pro Patria award acknowledges ArvinMeritor's high level of support for their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve," said Capt. Paul J. Ryan, chair of the Michigan ESGR Committee. "ArvinMeritor symbolizes the devotion of many Michigan companies to members of the military."
At the award ceremony, McClure will accept the Pro Patria award on behalf of ArvinMeritor along with Jim Babbitt, the employee who nominated the company for the award. Babbitt recently served in the Army National Guard deployed to Iraq, returning last November.
The final selection for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award will be announced in late June or early July 2009.
ArvinMeritor is a supplier of drivetrain components for U.S. military fleets around the world. The company has more than 525 employees in the United States dedicated to designing, testing and manufacturing drivetrain components for the U.S. Army's Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAP). ArvinMeritor also is designing and developing drivetrain technology for future military programs, including the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), Medium All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) and the Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC).
About ArvinMeritor
ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry. The company marks its centennial anniversary in 2009, celebrating a long history of 'forward thinking.' ArvinMeritor serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle manufacturers. ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For more information, visit the company's Web site at arvinmeritor.com.
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