Local defense contractor honored

The Florida Department of the American Legion awarded their annual Employer of Veterans award to ESA South (ESA), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business headquartered in Cantonment. The award requires a company to show a demonstrated commitment to employing veterans.

Why this matters: ESA has met this requirement with nearly a third of all current ESA employees having previously served in the armed forces, and with nearly 40% of new hires this year alone being veterans, this company embodies service and support for those who have served our nation.

Dig Deeper: Founded in 1999, ESA has a nationwide workforce and offices in California, Washington, Missouri, Texas, and Florida. Primarily focused on vertical construction, disaster response and recovery, and demolition and abatement of hazardous materials-ESA has worked extensively throughout the country completing numerous projects with a contract value up to $50 million dollars for various federal agencies and private sector clients nationwide.

Retired Navy Commander Brian K. Harris, PE, ESA’s director of contract compliance: “This company is maintaining its growth momentum by actively hiring and retaining a cadre of military veterans and in doing so maintains its cutting-edge competitiveness.

He added, “In addition to the company’s active employment of veterans and its VA project support, ESA enjoys giving back to the community by generously supporting charitable organizations such the Gulf Coast Kid’s House, Health and Hope Clinic, Children’s Home Society of Florida, Pace Center for Girls, Habitat for Humanity, Wreaths Across America, The American Legion, and the Society of American Military Engineers.”