PRIDE Industries’ Darelyn Pazdel writes about how to include employees with autism in the workforce with practical tips and helpful information that will make any workplace more inclusive for all.
People with Disabilities
In March 2023, ABC 10’s Mark S. Allen visited Knee Deep Brewing Company to report on the launch of its annual Autism Awareness Month beer. The specialty beer was inspired by several PRIDE Industries employees at the brewery who are on the autism spectrum.
The Perfect Fit is Knee Deep Brewing’s autism awareness beer supporting PRIDE Industries. The partnership began when Knee Deep hired employees with disabilties at its Auburn, California, brewery.
For more than 20 years, PRIDE Industries has maintained a successful business partnership with HP Inc. Since the beginning of the partnership, PRIDE Industries has provided sorting and recycling services for HP’s products. Today, PRIDE Industries provides an expanded suite of supply chain management services to the Fortune 500 company.
Currently, PRIDE Industries provides both supply chain management and fulfillment services to HP from its facilities in California. These services include spare part fulfillment, warehousing, and shipping for consumer, commercial, and enterprise printing. PRIDE Industries also handles the kitting and distribution of HP Inc.’s Printer Maintenance Kits.
Customized Supply Chain Management Services
The HP Inc. program at PRIDE Industries is a global, 24-hour operation made possible by PRIDE Industries’ team of supply chain planners, buyers, and business support assistants, who focus on striking the optimal balance between supply chain inventory levels and high customer level-of-fill targets.
PRIDE Industries’ procurement team manages multiple customer service functions, including purchase order management, delivery performance analysis, and troubleshooting.
Additionally, the PRIDE Industries supply chain management team performs forecasting and demand planning; creates material purchasing requests; manages part setup and maintenance, lifecycle planning activities, and part roll tasks; and provides overall operational project management support.
A Growing Partnership
In 2018, due to PRIDE Industries’ excellent operational performance in supply chain management and fulfillment, HP Inc. expanded its partnership with the social enterprise. The new responsibilities included:
- Spare part fulfillment to support HP’s print business, including its Graphic Solutions line of business.
- The designation of PRIDE Industries as the sole North America regional distribution center for HP’s printing and copier new spare parts needs. This includes managing the defective/credit return processing program for spare parts via the iReturns system, and handling all cross-docking activities.
Beyond the benefits of cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency, partnering with PRIDE Industries also allows HP Inc. to further its ESG efforts.
As HP Program/Supply Chain Manager Ralph Mendez says, “By contracting with us, HP Inc. is actively supporting our mission to create employment for people with disabilities.”
A Supply Chain Partner You Can Rely On
PRIDE Industries offers supply chain management, kitting and fulfillment, and other business services to emerging and Fortune 500 companies.
Leah Burdick, PRIDE Industries Chief Growth Officer, recently spoke with Doug Thomas of the Sacramento Public File. In this interview. Leah explains how PRIDE Industries fulfills its mission to create employment for people with disabilities. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Doug Thomas (DT): Good morning and welcome to the Public File. I’m Doug Thomas and my guest for this segment is Leah Burdick, the Chief Growth Officer for PRIDE Industries. Please share some background on PRIDE Industries.
Leah Burdick (LB): PRIDE Industries is a social enterprise. That means we provide business services that fuel our mission of creating employment for people with disabilities. We also provide support services to help people with disabilities succeed in the workforce.
We’ve been around for 56 years now. We started in 1966, when a group of parents gathered in Auburn to find a way to create jobs for their adult children with disabilities. Their first business was building birdhouses and selling them to local businesses. And from that beginning, we’ve grown into an organization that operates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Our employees can be found working in Fortune 500 companies, on military bases, and in local businesses.
DT: The term “disability” covers a lot of conditions. How unique and varied are PRIDE Industries clients?
LB: When people think of disabilities, they often think of a physical disability or perhaps an intellectual or developmental disability. People might thing of learning disabilities like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. But there are other types of disabilities as well, like traumatic brain injury. There are also psychological or mental disabilities. Depression and PTSD are types of disabilities too, and we’ve certainly seen a rise in those since the start of the pandemic.
And no matter the disability, PRIDE Industries is there to help. We place people with disabilities in roles that run the gamut from office professional to construction worker, lead custodian to groundskeeper. Any role that you think of, a person with a disability can do.
Employees with Disabilities: A Proven Workforce
DT: What’s the best way for businesses to find out more about hiring people with disabilities?
LB: Businesses can go to PRIDEIndustries.com. Then they can either call the number listed, or they can fill out our web form. Either way, we’ll be in touch with them within 24 hours.
DT: What would you say to someone in our audience who has a disability and wants to work?
LB: Don’t get discouraged. We are here to help. Please call 844-I-AM-ABLE to speak to one of our case managers. We’ll assess your situation, get you connected to support services, and speak to you about different jobs that you might like to do. Family members and caregivers of people with disabilities are also welcome to call.
DT: What are some of the challenges that people with disabilities face when it comes to finding a job?
LB: We’re in an era of increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, which is wonderful. But all too often, people with disabilities still aren’t part of that conversation. Companies don’t always include them in their talent acquisition planning. And that’s a loss for everyone, because people with disabilities are an amazing source of untapped talent, and their skills and dedication are especially needed in today’s difficult hiring environment. Everyone has talent; everyone has something to contribute.
DT: What types of employment are you able to find for your clients?
LB: We always have a lot of jobs available, especially in landscaping, custodial, and facilities management. We have quite a number of office jobs as well. And we hire a lot of job coaches—people with and without disabilities—who provide mentorship and on-the-job coaching to help people with disabilities succeed in the workplace. People can visit PRIDEIndustries.com and check out the available jobs.
DT: Who are some of the global and local companies that partner with PRIDE industries?
LB: We work with VSP Global, SMUD, HP, Compass Group, Ingram Micro, and Amazon, among other large companies. Locally, we have employees at Hard Rock, Thunder Valley, Knee Deep Brewing, Raley’s, and Neck Nosh Pretzel Necklaces. We provide services to businesses of all sizes.
PRIDE Industries Helps Businesses of All Sizes Reach Their Inclusivity Goals
DT: When companies hire PRIDE Industries employees, what kind of support do they receive?
LB: We work with the employer to help them create a more inclusive workplace. We help ensure that the proper accommodations are in place for the employee to contribute and succeed, which studies have shown helps drive profitability and sales. We also provide job training for employees with disabilities, as well as on-the-job coaching, if needed.
DT: I bet you’ve got more than a few success stories. Can you share one of them with us?
LB: There’s so many to choose from…We have an employee who experienced a traumatic brain injury that required her to relearn her ABCs. She had been a writer, and while her writing skills weren’t much affected, her speech was. She joined our proposal writing team and continued to heal on the job as she helped with proposals. She’s very productive, and a great team member.
DT: What do companies say about the quality and caliber of PRIDE Industries employees?
LB: Companies tell us all the time what a pleasure it is to have PRIDE Industries employees in their workplaces, how it boosts morale, even among employees without disabilities. We also hear that customers like it too. A lot of customers want to buy from companies that are giving back and having a social impact.
DT: Why should I consider hiring someone with a disability through PRIDE Industries?
LB: We’ve always known that people with disabilities make great employees. But especially now, given the labor market that we’re in, a lot of more companies want to work with us. They’re seeing that we provide quality talent with high retention rates.
DT: Are there any sponsors you’d like to say thanks to this morning? And could you use some volunteers?
LB: We’re lucky to have some wonderful local partners who support our Michael Ziegler PRIDE Industries Foundation—Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Sutter Health, Teichert, Ticket To Dream, The Walter S. Johnson Foundation, The Kelly Foundation, Placer Community Foundation, and more. Their generosity helps fund programs like our I AM ABLE Employment Helpline and job internships.
DT: What’s the best way for our listeners to help support PRIDE Industries?
LB: They can go to our website and click on the donation button. And certainly, please share our helpline. Call 844-I-AM-ABLE and we can get people on the pathway to meaningful employment.
Service Solutions to Help Your Business Grow
In addition to providing employment solutions to businesses of all sizes, PRIDE Industries offers a broad range of manufacturing and commercial facilities services.
For many people, the first job out of high school is the most memorable one. Sometimes it’s even life-changing, as it provides a way to explore careers, build experience, and earn a paycheck. For young adults with disabilities, however, such opportunities remain elusive. Ultimately, this work gap can impede their skill-set acquisition and lifetime earning potential.
PRIDE Industries’ dedicated Workforce Inclusion team is changing this. Supported by generous donors, our staff works directly with youth who have disabilities and are transitioning out of high school. Recently, one of our staff members received a letter from Dee Morimoto. She explains how their help led her son, Tyler Morimoto, to earn his first job as a ship loader (stevedore).
A Letter From Dee Morimoto: Gratitude for Job Coaching and Support
Tyler and I would like to extend our appreciation for all that you have done to help him find employment. Prior to signing up with PRIDE Industries, he had no experience filling out job applications, creating a resume, or knowing how to look for a job.
You changed all of that.
With practice interviews, many hours on the phone, and customized job coaching, you helped Tyler build his confidence. All of this led to him earning a job as a stevedore.
Thank you for always being there for us during this process—even after work hours and in the early morning to ensure that Tyler learned the bus system. Even further, you helped make sure that he obtained the accommodations that he needed to succeed—and worked with his employer to make that happen.
It takes a village to raise a child. This is so true, especially with raising a child with a disability. Having the right job coach on your side makes all the difference to becoming successful. Tyler now is on the path to personal growth, and for this we feel blessed.
Join us in our mission
Your donations make it possible for us to help people like Tyler succeed in a career that they love.
