COMPANY WINS AWARD FOR HIRING MILITARY VETERANS.

Byline: Daily News

LANCASTER - J.K. Hill and Associates has been honored as the Antelope Valley's Employer of the Year for its hiring of military veterans.

The company supplies Edwards Air Force Base with equipment and personnel. Forty-eight percent of its 236 employees are veterans.

``J.K. Hill embraces a philosophy of hiring vets due to their exceptional diversity, teamwork and efficient performance in situations and respect for process and procedures,'' said J.D. Jiles, veteran work-force specialist for the state Employment Development Department's Lancaster office.

The company was honored last week at a Lancaster City Hall ceremony by government agencies and veterans' civic organizations.

The awards were accepted by the company's owner, Jim Hill, and its Edwards manager, Bill Martin.

Veterans organizations were represented by Alex Hernandez, senior vice commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars District 10; Russell Curry, commander of Post 348 of the American Legion; James R. Wills, past commander of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 39, and Dave Stone, veteran employment services specialist with the Employment Development Department.

Making presentations were Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts, Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce President Steve Malicott and a board member, Bill Hogrefe, and field representatives for U.S. Rep. William M. Thomas, state Sen. George Runner, Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, and Los Angeles and Kern counties supervisors.

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(color) Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts, left, gives an Employer of the Year plaque to J.K. Hill and Associates owner Jim Hill as a firm manager, Bill Martin, watches.

Peggy Hager/Daily News