Mayor Bynum Recognizes Tulsa Businesses For Focus On Employing Veterans

Tulsa's mayor honored several businesses Monday for their efforts to hire more veterans. To be considered, each business has to recruit, hire, and provide programs to help veterans.

The companies honored were all part of different industries, ranging from universities to fire departments.

Michael Hixson is a veteran who works for PSO and said the company’s support means everything to him.

"I've been with the company for 22 years and they've always been a patriotic employer,” Hixson said. “I've deployed twice with them, and they've supported me during both deployments, sent me care packages, and gave me a flag that they flew over the PSO building that I got to fly in Kuwait."

PSO said veterans are great hires because they know how to work as a team. The company said it is thankful for their service.

"PSO is proud of its veteran employees,” said Wayne Greene, the spokesman for PSO. “They've done their patriotic duty to our nation, and now they're proving to be excellent employees for our company."

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum wanted to honor these companies ahead of the Veteran’s Day holiday.

"As we head to Veterans Day later this week, we wanted to use today as one of those opportunities to honor those in our community who are creating great jobs and great careers for the men and women who keep all of us free,” said Bynum.

Bynum hopes by encouraging more businesses to hire veterans, it will help those returning home who may not have a job lined up.

"We want Tulsa to be a place where they know when they get back here and they're ready to leave the military that there are going to be great jobs and career opportunities for them here in our city," Bynum said.

Hixson said having more veterans working for a company helps not only the veteran, but the company itself.

"They take care of their veterans, their veterans work hard for the company, and we all benefit from that," said Hixson.

This award program has been around since 2018, and the number of businesses honored has doubled.