Employer Success Stories

Businesses across the country are lauding the strong work ethic and other positive qualities that refugees bring to their workforce. Below are some profiles of companies that have had success integrating refugees into their labor pool.

Orlando: Bakery Express
At Orlando’s Bakery Express, you will find over 140 employees from diverse backgrounds kneading dough, assembling baked goods and overseeing the operations in the 34,000 square foot facility.  There’s good reason for all the hustle -- the Bakery produces over 38 million baked goods each year for the Florida division of the largest convenience store chain in the world

Idaho: Dairy and Onion Farms
One day, my director handed me a newspaper article that focused on a protest against the recent political decision to not allow year-round H2A visas for operations employing non-U.S. workers. One of the most vocal protesters was the dairy industry. I began sending out emails to the state’s dairy associations with a basic explanation of the services we offered. I highlighted the fact that refugees are a great labor force, that many come from agricultural backgrounds and -- best of all -- that they are WORK-AUTHORIZED. The dairy associations invited us to present at their meetings.

Virginia: Rivanna Natural Designs
Getting to know Crystal Mario is a refugee employment specialist's dream. The founder of a small manufacturing business in Charlottesville, Va., Mario is passionate about green jobs. She is committed to hiring refugees and providing them with living wages and resources for becoming self-sufficient. "I started the company with the express purpose of promising jobs for refugees."  Her company, Rivanna Natural Designs, manufactures wooden plaques, desk sets and clocks made from sustainably harvested wood. Their glass award plaques are made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled glass. Currently, five out of ten employees at Rivanna are former refugees.

Read more success stories by clicking on the links below:

Minnesota: Goldenflow Studios

Minnesota: Fairview Health Services

North Carolina: CabinetCraft

Pennsylvania: Cardone Industries

Maine: Hannaford Groceries

Texas: NAPCO Precast Limited, Inc.

New Jersey: C and S Grocers

Share Your Company's Story

Is your business interested in being featured as a RefugeeWorks success story? Would you like to share best practices and hear about other company's experiences working with refugees. Email us your story at information@refugeeworks.org, or post your experiences on the RefugeeWorks forum!