HQ98 joins with Buy Veteran, a national campaign spearheaded by the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) to bring the success and momentum of the National Veteran Business Movement to all of America’s 3 million veteran-owned businesses. 

This is where the Buy Veteran campaign comes in. Buy Veteran lets everyday, Main Street, consumer-facing veteran-owned businesses in every city and small town in America capitalize on the trust and gratitude to help their businesses grow. Recent nationwide polling revealed that it’s not just the government and large corporations that want to Buy Veteran – the average American consumer wants to Buy Veteran too! In fact, two-thirds of respondents said they’d rather purchase from a veteran-owned business than a non veteran-owned business.

In 1999, the federal government passed Public Law 106-50 that set a mandate to award 3 percent of all federal contract and subcontract dollars to service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.  In addition, nearly 15 percent of FORTUNE® 1000 companies set goals to include veteran-owned businesses in their supply chains as part of their supplier diversity programs.

National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) proudly launched the Buy Veteran Marketplace at http://www.buyveteran.com. 

Their message is simple: "Hey America", you trust veterans and want to thank them for bravely serving our country? Then support the 3 million American businesses owned by military veterans. Buy Veteran.”  A recent nationwide poll revealed that 95 percent of American consumers feel a sense of gratitude toward veterans and two-thirds said they’d be more likely to buy from veteran-owned businesses. Americans trust veterans who trained under a strong code of ethics.

The American people want to “thank” veterans, not “donate” to them. Big difference. Eat at a veteran-owned restaurant. Let a veteran-owned contractor remodel your house. Hire a veteran-owned tax preparer or lawyer. Drop off your laundry at a veteran-owned drycleaner. It’s good business. And it’s good for our economy. Buy American. Buy Local. Now Buy Veteran.

“The military teaches leadership, teamwork, integrity, resolve and ingenuity,” said NaVOBA President Chris Hale. “These intangibles are also the most important ingredients for success in running a business – which is why corporate America is so eager to partner with veteran-owned suppliers. The ten corporations we honored today just happen to be the best.” 

The notion that military training is world-class preparation for running a business is reinforced by the fact that one out of every seven veterans in the U.S. owns a business, according to Census data. Only one out of every 14 non-veterans owns a business.

“We take great pride in having veteran-owned vendors as preferred suppliers, and it's a special privilege to extend business opportunities to those who have served our nation,” said Robert J. Stevens, Lockheed Martin President & CEO.

“With their military backgrounds, veterans bring valuable insight to our supply chain, and we benefit greatly from their expertise in logistics and operations,” said Randall L. Stephenson, AT&T’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Working with veteran-owned businesses not only helps our bottom line but also helps us deliver the best products and services to our customers.”

Recently, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced that unemployment rates among veterans were more than 3 percent higher then their non-veteran counterparts. As the economy recovers, it is small businesses that will lead the way, creating more than 65 percent of new jobs. Veteran small business owners will be a large part of driving that growth.

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