As the country celebrates Veterans Day, Penske thanks the heroes who have served and who are currently serving our nation.
The company saluted military veterans during its annual Veterans Day Recognition Event held at the company’s headquarters in Reading, Pennsylvania. The event hosted veterans for a luncheon and short program featuring Penske leadership and guest speaker Keith Castille, Chief Master Sergeant, Air Force.
From left to right: Art Vallely, president of Penske Truck Leasing; Chief Master Sergeant Keith Castille; Mike Duff, vice president of community engagement at Penske Truck Leasing; Peter Bayer, senior vice president of operations, distribution center management at Penske Logistics.
The event also featured a performance of the National Anthem by the Alvernia University Chorus Ensemble and the Presentation of Colors by the Muhlenberg High School Air Force JROTC.
“Thank you for your service and for the freedom that you’ve given us. And thank you for your service to the organization, our people and our customers,” Art Vallely, president of Penske Truck Leasing, said during the event. “You exemplify what we try to do best everyday: others first and me second.”
Penske was recognized as a 2022 Military-Friendly Employer for our steadfast commitment to creating employment opportunities for veterans. In the past year, veterans represented nearly 9% of all Penske new hires – a testament to Penske's robust support to veterans and veteran organizations.
“Penske is committed to recruiting America’s veterans,” said Mike Duff, vice president of community engagement at Penske Truck Leasing. “We appreciate the values, work ethic and leadership skills they bring to our organization. Those qualities, along with composure under pressure, strong attention to detail and a big-picture view make veterans such a great fit for roles with Penske.”
Peter Bayer, Penske Logistics’ senior vice president of operations, distribution center management, shared a few words during the event based on his almost 30-year career with the Army.
“The important focus of Veterans Day is a celebration to honor our veterans for their patriotism, their love of country and their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good,” said Bayer. “Veterans are people who have chosen to make a difference in five ways: they have the proven ability to be part of something bigger than themselves; secondly, they understand the concept of service to their nation, their team and their community; thirdly, they understand the importance of demonstrating character; they live a life based on values; and lastly, they have a can-do attitude.”
“I know from personal experience with the Penske team that our veterans do make a difference for our team, for our nation, for our company and our community.”
During his portion of the speaking event, Castille focused on Penske’s commitment to hiring veterans while also connecting the values the armed forces and Penske share.
“Everyone knows that veterans bring character, confidence and commitment to the table, which all align with Penske’s principles of being passionately personal, dedicated to excellence and valuing fresh thinking,” he said. “Veterans Day is a day where our values and our strength brings us together. The stronger we are based on the perspectives we have - it makes our teams and our organizations so much better.”
Penske is recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month with a spotlight series to honor our veterans for their service and sacrifice. Watch for spotlights every Monday and Wednesday throughout the month on our social media channels.
Penske Truck Leasing technician Gerrit Sluyter, left, poses with Penske manager Rick Swanson and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award for Swanson's support of Sluyter, a U.S. Marines Corps reservist.
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