Contact: Chris Hedegaard Marketing Manager, Orion Industries
SANDY
A NEW START
Imagine: you're living your life, and then out of the blue the unthinkable happens and you have to start all over again. If you've lived through this, you know how Sandy felt the day she lost her retail position of 15 years.
"My whole world was shattered when I lost my job," she says.
For Sandy, the turning point came when she joined the Orion Office Skills and Customer Service Training Program - though initially, she had her doubts. "Being older and not familiar with computers," she says, "I was surprised that I could learn to do this." But she did learn office skills, and quickly, with the help of instructor Jeri Lucas. She completed her training and found a job with the Auburn-area CONNECT Chamber of Commerce, where she's worked for over a year, performing accounting and payroll functions, taking notes at meetings, and working with the board on finance projects.
"Orion came at a time when I really needed it," she says. "I gained experience and confidence, and I proved that I was able to change careers."
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Orion Industries Launches New Brand
Change Emphasizes Current and Future Growth in its Mission and Business
AUBURN, WA (June 20, 2019) –
Today, Orion Industries, a leading national model for Social Enterprise announced a new look and brand to better represent current and future growth in its mission and business. The term “Social Enterprise” refers to a business that is run to support a social mission. The mission of Orion is to change the lives of people with barriers to employment by building esteem and creating opportunities through training, education and successful business platforms. Orion’s customers include large Fortune 500 clients like Boeing and Microsoft.
A key driver behind the new Orion brand was the successful 2016 merger with Diversified Industrial Services in Mukilteo, WA. As part of the merger Orion gained new manufacturing capabilities, expanding product lines while also allowing additional training opportunities to support its transitional employment model. Orion also expanded its service offering to include Individual Employment Services and Community Inclusion services. These programs support over 50 individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in community employment settings.
“A top priority during our rebranding effort was the strong desire to continue to appeal to our existing customers and partners. They are the strong foundation for our mission and business and we will continue to serve them at the world class level they require,” said Jerry Chase newly appointed CEO of Orion. Chase continued, “We also wanted our new brand to reflect the growth in our mission and business because of the Diversified Industrial Services merger, and we wanted to appeal to new partners and customers as we strive to grow our mission and business. We believe the new look and brand really hit the mark!”
As a result of their success over the past ten years, Orion has supported over 2,300 people in their training programs and placed almost 1,000 individuals into careers. All this, with a focus on excellence, winning numerous awards for the quality of their products.
For additional information, visit http://www.orionworks.org/ or contact Chris Hedegaard at (253) 661-7805, x220 or at [email protected].
Founded in 1957, Orion Industries is a mission-driven nonprofit, providing career pathways to individuals with barriers to employment, such as learning disabilities, low incomes, and mental health. Orion is a social enterprise that uses operations in its Aerospace Manufacturing Division and Contact Center Services Division as platforms to teach people job skills through a combination of classroom instruction and paid training, including mentoring and internship programs. The divisions also provide sustainable funding for their social mission. In addition, Fortune 500 companies look to Orion for high-quality aerospace manufacturing and contact center support. Orion is headquartered in Auburn, WA, and are supported by their additional locations in Mukilteo, WA and Fort Eustis, VA.
