July 18, 2012

Manchin Showcases Martinsburg’s HMS Technologies in Nation’s Capital

As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned business, HMS Technologies is committed to hiring veterans

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) invited Mr. Roy Jones, Vice President of Contracts for HMS Technologies of Martinsburg to Washington, D.C. today for a meeting on Capitol Hill to showcase businesses doing innovative work that is creating good jobs. HMS was incorporated in 2003 as a certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned business, which means that it is at least 51 percent owned by an individual who is considered by the government to be a Service-Disabled Veteran. 

HMS Technology is an advanced IT systems integrator. Since it began, the company has grown 2,000 percent and has contracted with many government and commercial interests. In 2011, the company transitioned from a small to a large business. The Chairman and President of the company, Harry M. Siegel, was both an enlisted man and an officer in the United States Navy. 

“We are so proud of our businesses in West Virginia, like HMS Technologies, that not only strengthen the local economy but also hire our veterans,” Senator Manchin said. “The men and women who have served in our armed forces are some of the most highly-disciplined, best trained individuals out there, and when they return home from service, we should be connecting them with employers like HMS Technologies.” 

HMS’ executive staff is composed of veterans and business professionals with more than 100 years of combined executive leadership experience. Currently, veterans make up 45 percent of the company’s staff. 

“As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned business, we are committed to proactively recruiting and hiring U.S. veterans for career opportunities at HMS,” said Mr. Roy Jones. “HMS has intentionally staffed certain projects almost entirely with veteran personnel. Giving back to the veteran community and providing employment opportunities to veterans are key goals of HMS.” 

Background: 

In February 2012, United States Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) was proud to join with his colleague Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) to form the bipartisan Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, a group that will work to decrease the unemployment rate of the nation’s 777,000 veterans (as of February 2012) who are currently looking for work. The caucus’s signature initiative is the “I Hire Veterans” program. 

Unemployment is one of the biggest problems currently facing America’s veterans. In addition to our gratitude and support, our veterans need jobs. The “I Hire Veterans” initiative will serve as a sort of public awareness campaign. 

Senators Manchin and Kirk – and the 31 additional Democrats and Republicans who have joined the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus – are asking their colleagues and private businesses small and large to make a personal and public commitment to hiring veterans by displaying the “I Hire Veterans” logo. Senator Manchin and the members of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus all proudly display the logo in their offices to signify that they are proud to make the commitment to having veterans or veterans family members on their staffs. Employers who have hired veterans are encouraged to download the “I Hire Veterans” logo from Senator Manchin’s web site (www.manchin.senate.gov)  and display it in their workplace.