Want the job done right? Hire a veteran! TrustVets.com connects the public with thousands of highly qualified veteran business owners and professionals across America.
Joe Johnson got his heart and his back broken in the same car accident when he was just 17 years old. The boy, whose family were all proud veterans, was unable to pass the military enlistment requirements when his time came because of his injury. Giving back was the core of his DNA, and he could not. But good men rise up and move on, and born soldiers don’t quit. Joe Johnson is both. He pursued a successful career in sales.
Then one typical day, in one ordinary moment, an extraordinary thing happened. Joe and his wife were watching TV when a commercial came on with a man who was starting a restaurant and wanted to hire as many veterans as possible. Joe turned to his wife and said, “What if all of us made it a point to do business with as many veterans as we can, giving them a chance to continue to serve their country from home?” It was the thought he was destined to have because he was the man to make it happen. He linked arms with the brotherhood of veterans to serve the country together: He created Trust Vets.
Trust Vets is an organization that provides two vital avenues of business connection for veteran entrepreneurs and professionals: Their massive online business directory helps potential customers find a veteran who provides the product or service they need; and Trust Vets members can network with each other to produce and/or promote their products and businesses.
For the veterans, Trust Vets makes it easy for them to serve each other and their country here at home. Veteran Jason Johnson, owner of Advance Off Road Trailers, teamed up with a metal fabrication company to build, assemble and prepare the parts for shipment. His multi-purpose trailers have been sold to Chilean Special Forces in South America, and U.S. Special Forces is evaluating them for purchase. Retired Special Forces Green Beret Ken Hunt of Attleboro Knives in Sandpoint recently contracted with the National Rifle Association for 1,100 knives. And Trust Vets recently had a referral from an organization needing $100,000 in septic products!
For the public, hiring a vet is made simple by searching the TrustVets.com astonishingly inclusive directory of top-rated veteran professionals. You can search by category, by name or organization, or the location by city. Need a social media wizard? (And who doesn’t these days?) Is it time for an oil change or brake job? Want to buy a house or build one? Could your business benefit from a tax expert, staff sales training or a success coach? How about aerial photography for your sky-dive wedding ceremony? It’s all here.
The directory not only connects veterans to the people in their communities, it provides additional support through outstanding networking opportunities, professional connections and relationships, a web directory profile, social media promotions and their Friend of Veterans program.
“We provide all our services at no cost,” Joe says. “We have members in more than 30 states sending business across the country, and we consistently see huge referrals for everything from custom-built homes to a dozen roses.”
There are 34 Trust Vets members throughout the greater Sandpoint area, and Veteran Air Force Supply & Logistics Officer Rich Faletto is their representative. He has spearheaded Trust Vets locally for five years at the request of founder Joe Johnson. Deeply proud of Trust Vets’ mission, Faletto ‘vets the vets’ who apply for the free membership, confirming their service record. “Trust Vets has received membership requests from people who claimed to be veterans but were not,” he explains.
Every month, Faletto hosts a gathering of all local Sandpoint area members at the Matchwood Brewing Company, a Trust Vets Friends of Veterans member. He typically adds a few pitchers of beer and pop to the occasion, and all the members and supporters get to know each other. “One of the most common things I hear is that vets didn’t realize how much they missed the camaraderie,” says Faletto. “They look forward to these monthly meet-ups where they can reconnect and help take care of each other here at home.”
Faletto understands the unbreakable bond of brotherhood among veterans and the challenges involved in re-entering civilian life and forging another life of service. Faletto heard the call to serve, just as they did, and knows that call is still upon their lives. “Veterans feel comfortable doing business with fellow veterans. There is a level of trust at a very personal level. To be in combat and lay down your life on the line is very personal and forges a powerful bond. It strongly affects the relationship they have with one another.”
“When you hire a vet,” says Faletto, “you are hiring a highly disciplined person who will get the job done on time and done right. They were the best of the best in their military careers, and they remain among the best of the best in civilian life.”
Trust Vets has already created hundreds of success stories for American military veterans. They are now seeking additional veterans to join their efforts and start new chapters. To enroll, call Regional Membership Coordinator Rich Faletto at 208.255.9550. To hire top-notch professionals, go to TrustVets.com and explore a great website where freedom rings and reigns.