Amcon Manager Discovers Benefits of Hiring Nebraskans with Disabilities
When Fred Hawlik first considered hiring people with disabilities, he approached it rather cautiously only because he was unaware of the benefits these skilled workers could bring to a business.
No more.
Now, when Hawlik needs a worker for AMCON Distributing Company in Omaha, one option at his disposal is to call Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation and see if any potential employees are available who match his need.
Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation is just one of many programs in Nebraska where Ticket to Work ticket holders can be plugged into an employment opportunity. Problem solved.
"In the past, Vocational Rehabilitation has put me in touch with qualified, motivated workers," Hawlik said. "I was skeptical at first but only because I didn't know what to expect. I was wrong. It's been great."
Ticket to Work is administered by the Social Security Administration and strives to raise awareness among employers about the advantages of hiring people with disabilities. Ticket to Work's goal is to help people with disabilities obtain meaningful, long-term employment opportunities while at the same time addressing the financial barriers to healthcare. Ticket to Work legislation allows people with disabilities to retain their Medicaid benefits while being employed.
Hawlik has hired six employees through Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation. AMCON distributes consumer products to convenience stores, supermarkets, institutional customers and other wholesalers in the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain, Western and Southern regions of the United States.
For Hawlik, hiring workers with disabilities all boils down to ability. It's about opening doors and breaking down barriers for a large group of Nebraskans who want to work. Walk through AMCON's large warehouse in Omaha and you see dozens of skilled workers filling orders for convenience stores and other retail outlets, driving forklifts, loading trucks or stocking the large freezer area.
Hawlik treats every employee the same.
"We don't differentiate between anybody here," he said. "The employees are expected to do their work, and that's how they want to be treated." One AMCON employee hired through Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation recently left the company to return to school to become a veterinarian's assistant. "Working at AMCON gave her confidence to chase her dream and do this," Hawlik said.
[Back to Success Stories]