McLane's Growth Plans Include Military Veterans

TEMPLE, Texas — McLane Co. Inc. has long understood the value of hiring former members of the military and is actively recruiting those transitioning out of the military into civilian life as part of its growth initiative.

"McLane offers challenges and rewards that keep a military veterans' problem-solving skills sharp," said Darrell Briscoe, regional vice president of foodservice at McLane and a former U.S. Army captain.

Briscoe is a 28-year McLane employee who flew Huey and Kiowa class helicopters during Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations. The attraction for Briscoe and many other former members of the military who join McLane is the leadership opportunities and the opportunity to learn various jobs within the same organization, McLane stated.

"The skills I learned in the military have been helpful in every leadership position I've held with McLane, from supervisor to manager to executive," Briscoe said. "I enjoy the camaraderie and responsibility of building and growing teams accountable for serving and supporting our customers."

McLane attributes robust marketing of its military-friendly programs and word-of-mouth as playing a role in the continued increase in the number of former military members joining the company.

In May 2018, McLane launched Warriors to Wheels, a registered driver apprenticeship program developed especially for people transitioning out of the military. The Warriors to Wheels program is GI Bill-approved and is a Registered Driver Apprenticeship with the U.S. Department of Labor. It is designed to attract and provide military veterans an "earn while you learn" training model that utilizes their military training experience to move into a career in transportation.  

McLane offers careers that don't require drivers to be away from their families for extended periods of time. Delivery drivers run one-to-two-day routes, with more than 80 distribution centers nationwide.

The program is open to anyone, not just former military. However, former military members who are eligible for GI Bill benefits in the Warriors to Wheels program can receive their GI Bill housing allowance while earning a wage at the same time.

"More than 10 percent of our teammates self-identify as former military," said Jennifer Rojas Clouse, equal employment opportunity compliance and inclusion manager. "We have been in business for more than 128 years and offer our teammates the opportunity to enjoy long, stable careers. McLane is growing and has management, warehouse, and driver positions available nationwide."

McLane also partners with the Department of Army/Ft. Hood, which offers transitioning service members a nine-week training experience to learn the fundamentals of warehouse operations.

Temple-based McLane Co. Inc. is one of the largest supply chain services leaders in the United States, providing grocery and foodservice solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores, and chain restaurants. Through McLane Grocery and McLane Foodservice, McLane operates more than 80 distribution centers and one of the nation's largest private fleets. The company buys, sells, and delivers more than 50,000 consumer products to nearly 110,000 locations across the United States. Additionally, McLane provides alcoholic beverage distribution through its subsidiary, Empire Distributors Inc.

McLane is a wholly owned unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.