Department of Defense Program Awards Two Whirlpool Employees

Improving life at home extends beyond the kitchen and laundry and even into the workplace at Whirlpool Corporation. For Martin Lach, a Global Sr. Sourcing Specialist at Whirlpool, serving in the U.S. National Guard, that means a lot. To the Department of Defense, it is worthy of the Patriot Award. The award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures, including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.

Due to extraordinary support of Lach’s military duty, Martin nominated senior managers Menel Gregory and Tom Maas for this prestigious award. Both were recently presented with the Patriot Award from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense program. ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Military Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers, and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment.

Pictured: Mike Wilson, ESGR Area-8 Chair-Michigan, Martin Lach, Tom Maas, Menel Gregory, and Paul Ryan, ESGR State Chair-Emeritus

Lach said, “Tom and Menel provided full support for all military training that I have been required to attend. They helped coordinate support my workload while I was out of the office on training.” He further went on to say, “They remain committed to ensuring there are no barriers or work related matters that need attention while I am out of the office so that I may focus on my military duty.”